Killer
by PurpleScizzors48
Summary: Hey this is a story I took over from Lesipiratecat with her permission so the first nine chapters are all hers. Hope you enjoy what I've done with it.
1. Chapter 1

Tori sighed as she stepped into the cool water in her shower. The LA sun had been unforgivingly hot that day, its heat even penetrating the indoors and making it so that there weren't many places to hide from it. Tori had been stuck inside her stuffy studio recording her latest album for most of the day, having to take breaks every so often to drink some water so as not to dehydrate her body, mind, and voice. It was for that reason that stepping into the cool shower at that moment felt like heaven. For a few moments, she just stood still her face looking upwards as the water just flowed over her and cooled her body. She let her mind go complete blank and felt some of the pressure of recording melt away. It was times like this when she wondered about a few things about her life. When would she back away from the limelight? Would she settled down with someone and have family? What else would she do with her life? At 25 years old, Tori had already accomplished many musical achievements. Seven award winning albums, three Grammys, performances at a handful of award shows as well as on multiple TV shows including Saturday Night Live, Ellen, and The Voice, and touring on concert were among them. All those things had happened since graduating from Hollywood Arts seven years ago. Tori wasn't full of herself, but she wasn't insecure enough to believe that her career wouldn't continue on this impressive track should she continue. Of course, it wasn't that Tori didn't still love this career or wanted out! She just had moments when she felt as if something were missing, and she couldn't quite figure out what. Shaking the thought from her head, she began washing her body.

'_Don't be so silly_,' she told herself, '_You have everything you ever wanted. A huge apartment to call your own, a rolling music career, friends who you are still very close with- friends like Andre, Beck, Sikowitz, Carly, Sam, Freddie, Spencer, and Gibby. Cat too when she takes time away from my sister and their kids to come visit, but she calls at least every week otherwise. And Robbie comes around when he isn't travelling for his comedy career. Most of them you'll be seeing tonight for Beck's birthday._' Thinking about all her friends though, she realized that something WASmissing; every get-together with her friends reminded her of the friend she'd lost, the one who, after graduating, suddenly disappeared. Jade West. God, even after all these years, Tori still missed Jade like crazy. For a year and a half, starting after their forced date, Tori and Jade were the best of friends. Jade still taunted and tormented Tori, causing Tori to yell at her, but it had been more out of habit and entertainment than anything else. Jade and Tori became almost inseparable, hanging out every weekend, doing homework together on most weekdays, going to movies and on shopping trips, and anything else they could think of. Sometimes Jade would just be at Tori's house in the morning when she woke up, ready to tease Tori about her bedhead as she handed her a cup of coffee. Tori's parents got used to it and Tori depended on it. It took all of Tori's will power to not confess how deeply in love she'd fallen with her pale-skinned friend. Jade had gotten back with Beck, and, even if they hardly acted like a couple (spending very little time outside school with each other and barely talking even when they were together), Tori was not going to get between them by telling Jade how she felt.

And then graduation had come. After finally getting their high school diplomas, they had had one last party just the eight of them (Tori, Jade, Andre, Beck, Cat, Robbie, Trina, and Sikowitz) because they had found that they were actually sad to leave the school that had brought them so many memories and enabled them to just be themselves. It was this party that had been the last time they would see Jade. It had been a blast; Tori and Jade danced and laughed, and when the night came to an end, Jade drove Tori home. Tori had started silently crying from the bittersweet feelings she was having. When Jade pulled into her driveway, Tori had fully expected Jade to make fun of her, but she'd been shocked to see Jade was crying too. They held each other for a long time, comforting each other. And then, all of a sudden, Tori couldn't even remember if anything caused it or who initiated it, the two girls were passionately kissing. Their make-out session felt so good and so right to Tori, and she had never wanted to stop. It ended all too soon when Jade pulled away. As she rested her forehead against Tori's, panting for air, her blue-green eyes looked back into Tori's brown ones. She was certain that Jade could read all the emotions Tori felt, but she didn't care. Tori could see many emotions run through Jade's eyes as well. Some were unrecognizable. Others Tori could identify as happiness, shock, sadness, and regret. For a second, all those emotions were overpowered by a look of fear. But before Tori could ask her about it, it was gone, leaving Tori to wonder if it had even been there. Jade's look was now full of honesty and regret as she said, "You have no idea how badly I want more Tor."

Tori had opened her mouth to tell Jade she felt the same and that Jade could have anything she wanted that Tori could give, but Jade placed a finger over her lips. Her eyes welled with fresh tears as she whispered, "Please. Just don't say anything. Don't make this moment harder than it has to be. There are so many things I wish I could say, but I can't because it wouldn't be fair to either of us. I wasn't even going to say anything at all, but I just… I can't leave it like that. So I'm only going to say one thing and then I want you to get out of the car, go inside your house, and pretend this never happened. Trust me when I say, it'll be much easier for you that way. Promise me Tori. Promise that after I say this, you'll leave, and move on with your life."

Her sapphire colored eyes stared at Tori so intensely that Tori understood this was a promise Jade needed her to make. She wanted to ask some many questions and beg Jade to stay. But when she opened her mouth, all she could say was, "I'll try Jade. I promise."

Jade relaxed slightly before whispering, "I love you Tori. Since we met, you have made my life so much better. I'm sorry it took me so long to realize that. I'm sorry that I was never able to show you how deeply in love with you I am. It was always you. It will always be you. I just… wanted you to know that." And then she pressed her lips back to Tori's in a searing, deep kiss that left Tori lightheaded. Again it was too soon when Jade pulled away, but this time she fell back into her seat, grabbed the steering wheel in a death-grip that left her knuckles turning white, and glared straight ahead.

As much as Tori wanted to stay longer and make Jade stay with her, she had to keep her promise. She swallowed hard as she forced herself to open the door and get out. She heard the engine roar back to life as she straightened. She was just about to close the door, when she quickly turned around, crawled back in the car, and pressed one final kiss to Jade's lips. Then she pulled away and gasped, "I love you too Jade. Always have; always will."

Jade gasped as she stared wide-eyed at the Latina. Then her face was overcome by a huge smile, one that Tori could see she was helpless to prevent. Tori returned it, pecked her lips one last time, then got out, closing the door behind her as she walked to her front door. She turned around and watched as Jade drove away and out of sight. Then she stood there for twenty more minutes, smiling dreamily and gently touching her lips, trying to preserve the feeling of Jade's against them. Later the next day when she got the call from Beck that Jade was gone, her house vacant and cell number dislocated, Tori was not surprised. She had known in the back of her mind that that had been the reason for Jade's confession the night before. To have it confirmed though, left Tori a broken-hearted, sobbing mess. She also was scared for Jade when she remembered the quick look of fear that had passed through her eyes, but she kept that to herself. It had taken Tori a long time to stop being so sad, but she still missed Jade every day of her life, wondering where she was, if she was okay, and if she missed Tori and what they could've had together as much as Tori did.

"Hey Tor! You home?" a voice called through the large, studio apartment, interrupting Tori's thoughts.

Tori turned off the water, and stepped out as she called back, "Yah Andre! I'm almost ready!"

"Take your time chica," Andre said as he put his bag down, shed his shoes, and started moving through the apartment towards his room, "I wanna take a quick shower before I change though. It was one helluva hot day, and I got all sweaty."

Tori chuckled as she came out of the bathroom wearing nothing but a towel and running a brush through her wet hair. Andre and Tori had been living together long enough- about seven years to be exact, since not long after they'd graduated- that they were completely comfortable with one another. Thankfully, it hadn't been like that time Andre has stayed over when his grandma was driving him crazy; he and Tori had proved that they could be excellent roommates. Andre did most of the cooking while Tori did most of the cleaning. They respected each other boundaries and did their own laundry. It was great, and Tori hated to admit it, but she was a little happy that Andre no longer had his grandma to worry about. Not having to care for the crazy woman had really let Andre show his independent and mature side. "Awh! You poor baby," Tori teased as she leaned against the door frame and watched as he began to shed his clothes. "So how'd it go?"

He moved past her into the bathroom, wearing only his boxers as he answered, "Not that bad actually. Marlena's parents may actually like me."

"Oh Andre! That's great! So does that mean a proposal may be coming soon?" She wiggled her eyes suggestively as she exclaimed excitedly.

He laughed and leaned over to turn the shower back on, "Well, if it's coming, it's coming sooner now that I've met her parents."

Tori squealed before hugging him.

Andre just laughed before smirking, "Cover your eyes chica!"

Tori rolled her eyes, "Why are you afraid that you'll turn me straight, and you'll have to explain to your girlfriend why your roommate is suddenly all over you?" Tori made a show of looking him up and down, "Trust me. Not gonna happen."

When Andre hit her with a towel, Tori began laughing hysterically. "I'm not sure if I should be offended or relieved," was his usual response to a comment like that- not that Tori made those jokes a lot, but she was in such a good mood all of a sudden that she couldn't help it. Tori just continued laughing but did him the favor of turning around, so he could strip. She calmed down as she brushed her teeth. "Speaking of someone being all over someone else, where's Rebecca been lately?"

Tori groaned at the mention of her latest love-interest. Tori spit the foam of her mouth and said, "She won't be coming around anymore."

"What? Why? What happened?"

Tori made an exasperated noise as she explained, "I told her from the beginning that I wasn't looking for anything serious. At the time, she seemed fine with that. It would just be some casual dating and hooking-up while I focused on my new album and she focused on her DJ-ing. It seemed like it was going fine. I liked it; she seemed to be liking it. And about two weeks ago, she was suddenly calling me a million times a day and starting to tell me she loved me. Yesterday, she had the gall to yell at me for not wanting to commit after I specifically told her that I wasn't going to do so. So I broke it off." Tori let out a growl of frustration. There was only one girl Tori had ever considered committing to, and she doubted she would find another. Even though Tori had absolutely no hope that she would ever see Jade again, she couldn't stop her heart from still loving her- still needing her.

"Daymn girl," Andre said as he turned off the water. The towel slid over the top of the curtain rod as he questioned, "You okay about it?"

"Oh yah," Tori answered as she left the bathroom to head next door to her room. Over her shoulder, she called, "Hurry up and get dressed. We got twenty minutes before we have to leave. Beck will be pissed if we're late." She went to her walk-in closet and pulled out her black jeans, black knee-high boots, blood-red tank top, black belt to go over said tank top, and her black, faux-leather vest. After getting dressed, she headed back to the bathroom to blow-dry her hair, leaving it slightly damp so that it would curl slightly, and put on her make-up. Feeling a little edgy, she put on her black leather dog collar and matching red-and-black plaid cloth wristbands. If she had time, she would've painted her nails black and red, but decided that that might have been overkill anyway. Red and black were Tori's favorite colors- well two out of three of her favorite colors. Her other favorite was the blue-green of Jade's eyes that Tori could still remember perfectly. Looking in the mirror, she smiled satisfied. Beck had decided he wanted to party at a club for both straight and gay people, so Tori felt her look was appropriate.

Tori heard a wolf whistle and turned to stick her tongue out at her roommate. He smirked, "Hoping to pick up a chick or two with that outfit?"

"Maybe," Tori smirked back. "So you ready?"

He was wearing a simple outfit of blue jeans, a dangling-chain belt, white wife beater, and grey-and-blue plaid button-up shirt that he'd left unbuttoned. He nodded, "Yup. Just… Do you know where I left Beck's gift?"

"The vintage Batmobile RC toy?" He nodded, "Yah. You didn't want Beck to find it so you hid it in the laundry closet." See? Perfect roommates.

Tori and Andre got their presents (and Tori grabbed her purse) before they headed out. They took the elevator down, waved to Jonah the doorman (who was rather like Lewbert from iCarly so he naturally yelled at them), and flagged down a cab. By the time they got there, the club was already hoppin'. The music's bass could be heard even on the street and made Tori's ribs vibrate. "Tori! Andre!" a girly voice called. Tori and Andre turned to see Cat waving excitedly at them, Trina at her side and holding her other hand.

"Oh my god!" Tori gasped with a large smile before running into Cat's arms. Then she hugged her sister, "I thought you guys weren't going to be able to make it. Where are my gorgeous niece and nephew, Amelia and Marty?"

"They're with our parents. We'll be here for a couple of days, and I'm sure they'd love to see their famous Auntie Tori. And their Uncle Andre of course," Trina offered them with a smile.

Tori laughed, "Yah of course."

"Just let me know when!" Andre hugged each of them, warmly. They had all started to like Trina much better after she'd begun dating Cat. Tori agreed that Cat had magically managed to bring out the best, more-likable qualities in her sister.

They caught up for a few minutes, waiting for the others to show. Soon, Spencer and Sikowitz showed up together (the two man-children had been together for three years now) followed by Beck- the Birthday Boy as Tori and Cat deemed and refused to stop calling him no matter how much he asked. Then Gibby and Freddie showed up. Carly and Sam, who'd gotten married last year, were the last to arrive, much to Carly's dismay. They quickly put their presents for Beck in his car before heading inside. The group partied hard, drinking, dancing, shouting, and laughing. A few hours later, Tori had gone to sit down for a breather and had begun to watch as Trina and Cat made out in the middle of the dance floor causing the men around them to holler excitedly. Seeing her sister and sister-in-law so happy together always reminded her of Jade and made her sad. Sam and Carly had noticed her staring at them with a faraway, sad look and offered her comfort. But combined with all the thinking she'd done about Jade earlier and the dreams she was having now, she found that that particular sadness just wasn't going to let her go tonight. But she put on a brave, happy face and cheered as Andre and the club staff brought a huge cake out for Beck. The whole place sang for him, making him blush, and then about eight girls were all over him for the rest of the night. When closing time came at 1 a.m. they said their goodbyes and headed home. Andre was wasted by this point so Tori had to help him inside the cab and up to their apartment, which was no easy task considering Andre was basically a dead-weight. When Tori finally unlocked and opened their door, she was pretty much carrying him. "Come on Andre," Tori groaned, "Ya gotta move your feet."

"Am moovin' meh feet," Andre slurred.

Tori grunted, "Are not. You're lucky I've been lifting more often. Just stay awake long enough for me to get you to bed. Then I'll get you some water and Advil to help with the major hangover you'll probably have in the morning." Tori knew she might as well be talking to herself as she moved past their entertainment area, around the corner, and down the hallway towards Andre's room. Finally, she shrugged him off of her and tossed him on to his bed. Like the good friend she was, she removed his shoes, pants, and shirts so he would rest comfortably. Hey, he'd done it many times for her but for different reasons. Tori usually only had a few drinks at most, but more times than she had fingers and toes, she'd come home from the studio or from running too tired to move. Tori couldn't help but smile affectionately at her best friend when he let out a snore loud enough to wake the dead. "Well, I guess that means you won't be taking any Advil tonight." She shrugged and moved into the kitchen anyway. She filled a large cup with water and left it and four pills on his bedside table. Then she turned off the lights and left, closing his door behind her. Tiredly, she made her way back towards the front door and closed it. She turned off all the lights as she made her way back down the hall to her room. Not wasting any more time standing, Tori threw herself onto her bed and stared up at the ceiling, letting out a loud sigh of relief.

"Rough night?" a sudden voice made Tori scream and shoot off her bed, turning to face the voice. Her lamp was clicked on, blinding her for a moment. She blinked a few times until she could see the intruder clearly. Tori's eyes widened when she finally recognized the other person, and a gasp escaped her lips, "Jade?"

Standing there with the smirk Tori remembered, was indeed Jade West. "Thanks for the intro Vega," the smirk spread at Tori's surprise.

For a moment, Tori was sure she was hallucinating- that her constant thoughts, memories, and dreams of the pale girl had suddenly brought her to life. Then a huge smile broke out on her face. "Jade!" she squealed happily before attacking Jade with a hug. When Tori's body met the hard realness of Jade's, she knew that she was real. She hugged Jade tight, feeling her heart almost burst when Jade returned it. Tori pulled away to look at Jade's face. "What the… How… When…?" Tori was too excited to complete any of sentences.

Jade chuckled, "You gonna finish any of those thoughts?"

Tori laughed at the sarcasm that she'd missed so much as she hugged Jade close once again. "I can't!" she laughed, "I'm just so happy you're here."

Jade sighed and relaxed as she squeezed Tori tighter, "Me too Tori. Me too."


	2. Chapter 2

After Tori's initial excitement and joy had passed, a wave of tiredness swept over her, reminding her of the long day she'd had. However, she refused to let Jade go, even when a huge yawn forced itself out. Jade felt the yawn and chuckled, but her voice was soft and tender as she said, "Why don't you go to bed Tor?"

A shiver ran up Tori's spine at the way Jade said the nickname. She'd been the only one to call Tori that for a while. Andre had picked it up after she'd vanished. "I don't want to let you go," Tori blurted without thinking. '_If I do, you may disappear again.'_

Jade smiled softly- God, how she'd missed Tori. "I'm not going anywhere. I promise. I'll be right here when you wake up."

Tori pulled away to look into Jade's eyes. There she saw honesty shining brightly and knew Jade would keep that promise. "Okay," she nodded. She pulled away to head to her closet for PJs. Coming back out wearing a pair of worn boxers and a tank top, she saw Jade looking around her room. It was larger than the one at her parents' house. Her carpet was black. She'd decorated the walls with pictures and posters. Across from her door was the door to her closet. Next to that was her make-up desk with had a mirror attached to it, making it look like something you would see backstage at a Broadway or a strip-club. On the wall across from her door were two windows that had been covered in black curtains. On the far wall was a long desk that reached from one side of the room to the other; it was decorated with book, pictures, and many other random items. In the middle of the room was a platform that her bed sat atop of. Covering the mattress was a green-and-black comforter and matching pillow cases. Tori froze as she watched Jade, realizing that some of the items would look rather familiar to the pale girl.

Seeming to sense Tori's reappearance, she turned to give Tori an odd look. "Some of these things are mine," she said curiously.

Tori swallowed and looked away sheepishly. "After you, um, disappeared, they were going to collect everything and put it in storage before they sold your house. Knowing that a lot of your things were precious to you, I, Beck, Andre, and Cat each took a few things. At the time, it was because we needed something to remind us of you. But then I think it was more about us believing you'd come back someday." A smile came over her face as she went on, "I used to imagine you coming back and shouting at the fools who were stupid enough to take and break your collection of dead things in jars. Or how they let the moths eat your favorite clothes and stuff. They'd have to go home and change their pants after they cried and begged for you to forgive them- that they would buy you all new things. I couldn't let that happen of course, so I took them for myself." Tori looked at Jade with a scared-and-sad-puppy look as she asked, "Are you mad? I know that we were good friends for a while but maybe you still wouldn't want your things with me. And maybe I shouldn't have covered my bed with your stuff, but it smelled like you for years. And-"

"Tori," Jade's soft voice cut through Tori's freak out. She smiled gently at the singer, "I'm not mad. I'm actually rather touched that you guys would wanna save my things… But if you ever tell anyone that, I'll deny it and do bad things to you."

By the glint in her eyes, Tori could tell she was joking- partially. She laughed.

"Plus, you look really good in my clothes."

Tori looked down at the black boxers and skull-covered tank. She'd forgotten they were Jade's. She smiled at Jade, "I'm glad. Do you want something to sleep in?"

She shook her head, "Nah. I'm good. Just get in the bed Tor. You look like crap."

'_That's the Jade I remember.'_ Tori rolled her eyes with a smile as she complied. She tried not to watch as Jade stripped off her pants and lifted up her shirt just enough to remove her bra, but she couldn't help it. Instantly, she felt that attraction to Jade she'd had years ago swell up again. Discreetly, her eyes roamed over Jade's body. However, when she looked at her back, she had to hold in a horrified gasp. Jade's back was covered in scars. Some long and thin, some short and wide, some small, some large, and, sitting above her underwear- in the middle of her lower back, was the scar of someone's initials that looked like she'd been branded. SR. Tori suddenly felt very sick, and she closed her eyes as she tried to fight the nausea. She had finally started breathing normally again when she heard the lamp click off and felt the bed dip and move as Jade joined her. Once Jade was settled on her side of the bed, she let out a sigh. Tori couldn't help but roll over until she was almost touching Jade's side; she wanted to be closer but neither of them had mentioned the amazing make-out sesh they'd had seven years prior, so she didn't know where she stood or just how much affection towards Jade she was allowed to show. The last of her stomach pain melted when Jade shifted closer so that they were touching. Jade grabbed Tori's arm and pulled it until it draped over her waist. Tori hummed in pleasure and snuggled closer, "I missed you Jade."

"Missed you too Tor," Tori heard the smile in her voice and started to relax.

Then Tori opened her mouth and blurted, "Jade? Where did you go?"

Jade's body tensed and her breath caught in her throat. She knew Tori would ask; Tori was naturally very curious. But she had still hoped she wouldn't. She didn't want the burden of Jade's life to weigh on the beautiful Latina. '_Could Tori handle the truth?_' Jade asked herself. '_Maybe a better question would be can I trust her with it in the first place?'_ Not having a clear answer, Jade forced herself to let out her breath and relax. "Just go to bed Tor."

Tori could tell Jade didn't want to talk about it. Maybe not now, maybe not ever. It worried Tori deeply, but she vowed she'd get the truth eventually. "Okay," she complied, "Night Jade."

Jade smiled affectionately at the Latina even though she knew she couldn't see her, "Goodnight Tori." She sighed in relief when she felt Tori's body relax and her breathing even-out as she surrendered to sleep. She lay awake for a while longer, wondering how and if she could ever tell Tori the truth, wondering, how after all this time, she was still so deeply in love with Tori Vega. She'd known it the minute she saw her. The same wave of love and belonging that she'd felt all those years ago had filled her up just as much as before, maybe even more. She'd been so relieved, so happy. It had been like a piece of her was reawakening. The last seven years had been hell. Jade had wanted to die many times it'd been so horrible. But the thoughts and memories of the Latina had kept her alive. Now she was back and, as Jade's body finally surrendered to exhaustion, she knew this was where she belonged.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~~

When Tori woke up the next morning, she had no real recollection of the day before; she thought Jade showing up in her room and sleeping next to her had just been a dream- a really amazing dream. She uncurled from the ball she'd been sleeping in, rolled onto her back, and stretched. Then she let out a loud, contented sigh. "I have the day off today," she said happily. She stared up at the ceiling, wondering what Andre was up to today and if he might wanna do something. "First, I have to see if he's got that hangover I warned him about." She got out of bed, made her way to the bathroom to relieve herself and brush her teeth. When that was done, she went across the hall to softly and quietly, turn the doorknob, open the door, and peek in as she said just as quietly, "Andre? You up yet?" Not seeing him in the bed, she looked around his room, "Andre?" Still not seeing him, her mouth thinned as she wondered why he was up. She made her way to the kitchen. She paused when she saw him sitting at the bar counter. By himself. With a glass of water. AND a glass of orange juice. "What's with the two glasses?" Tori asked as she made her way to the fridge to look for breakfast.

"I couldn't decide which one I wanted more so I went with both," Andre answered, smirking at the girl hiding behind the counter while Tori wasn't looking.

"Maybe after seven years of living with you, I shouldn't be surprised by any weird things you do anymore," she giggled, reaching for the milk deciding to eat some cereal. As she moved around for the items necessary to eat her Lucky Charms, she spoke, "So I had this really… interesting dream last night?"

"Oh yah, what about?"

"Jade. She was here- in my room, waiting for me. She looked around my room and saw all her stuff, and she actually didn't try to kill me," Tori laughed, "It was nice."

Andre smirked, flicking his eyes downwards as Tori looked down at her bowl, "A dream you say? Are you sure about that?"

Just as Tori looked up at Andre with a look mixed with confusion and panic, Jade suddenly jumped up next to Tori. "HEY VEGA!" she shouted, with a huge smile on her face.

Tori screamed bloody-murder and fell back onto her butt, bringing her bowl of cereal with her making it so that she and the floor around her were covered in milk and soggy Lucky Charms. Jade and Andre laughed hysterically and high-fived each other. When Tori stopped screaming, she held a hand to her soaked chest and panted, her eyes moving from one friend to the other, as she tried to rein in her terror. Then her eyes and expression turned angry as she glared at Jade. "Jade! That wasn't funny!" Tori shrieked exasperated.

Jade just smirked and continued to giggle, "It most definitely was. You should've seen your face. You dropped like a lead balloon." Her hysterical laughing started up all over again.

Tori's glare turned to Andre as he laughed, "It was pretty funny Tor. You didn't even see it coming. How could you think Jade returning was just a dream?"

Tori blushed as she stammered guiltily, "Umm- well- I- Umm."

Jade just chuckled, "It's okay Tor. Here." She offered her hand to Tori to help her up.

Tori took it and allowed Jade to pull her up. Once she was on her feet, she didn't want to let Jade's hand go. For a few moments, they both stood there, unmoving, holding each other's hand. Then Tori blinked and dropped Jade's hand. "I'm gonna go change," she glared half-heartedly at them as she left. Once she made it to her room, she grabbed an old towel from off the floor. As she shed her milk-soaked clothes, she toweled off her body. Deciding to get dressed in actual, going-out clothes, she grabbed her bra and panties and put them on. She wandered around her room, looking for an outfit, when she was interrupted by a voice. "Lookin' good Vega."

Tori shrieked and turned around to see Jade leaning against the door frame, watching her. She let out an exasperated sound and said, "Will you stop sneaking up on me like that? Sheesh!"

"Just like the old days, huh Tor?" Jade noticed softly.

Tori immediately melted, "Yah. I missed those days… Though I don't think my heart missed the mini-episodes you used to give it."

Jade laughed, "Yah. Just be glad it's healthy enough to survive them. Because I have a lot of time to make up for- lots of scares to give you."

"Greeeeaaattt," Tori moaned sarcastically.

"Besides," Jade continued, ignoring Tori, and eyeing her up and down, "If it means that I might get to see you nearly naked, why would I stop?"

Tori blushed and smiled widely. Her eyes widened slightly as Jade stepped into her room, closed the door behind her, then walked towards Tori. Tori felt frozen in place as Jade slowly approached her. When Jade was about a fore-arm's length away she stopped. Her blue eyes were staring intently at Tori, lit with a fire that set Tori's skin ablaze. Tori's breath hitched as she stared back into Jade's eyes. After last night, she had been sure of a few things. One, Jade had missed her; she's said so herself. Two, she was still deeply and undeniably in love with Jade. Three, Jade still cared for her at least as a friend. She had been unsure whether Jade still felt the love she'd confessed she felt all those years ago- whether she even remembered she'd confessed that at all. As she searched through Jade's eyes, she saw many emotions swimming there. Arousal, insecurity, hopefulness. But the emotion that Tori was searching for seemed to outshined them all. Love. Not needing any further encouragement, Tori surged forward and closed the distance by pressing her lips to Jade's. Their lips fit together like two pieces of a puzzle and, as the kiss deepened, fused together to the point that neither was sure if they would be able to pull them apart again. All the love that that had felt then and were still feeling now ignited them. Jade wrapped her arms around Tori and pulled her even closer while Tori slid her hands into Jade's hair to do the same. The pure rightness and belonging of just that one kiss didn't go unnoticed by the girls. The kiss turned passionate, their tongues wrestling in and out of each other's mouths. Jade's hand began wandering over Tori's skin, causing goosebumps in her wake. Tori shivered and moaned every time her nails passed over a sensitive spot, like her ribs or hips. When Jade moved down to her ass, Tori moaned into Jade's mouth, "Jaaaadddee!"

As Tori ripped her mouth away to breathe, Jade's mouth descended on her neck. Jade had been dreaming of doing this with Tori for so long, but now that it was real, it felt a million times better. As Tori gasped and moaned as Jade sucked on her neck, Jade had never been more sure of her feelings for Tori. She was about to reach around to unhook Tori's bra, when Tori's hands slid down her body and back up, this time under her shirt. Tori ghosted her fingers along Jade's sides, feeling the heated skin twitch with pleasure. Jade moaned quietly at the touch that was only serving to heat her body more than she'd thought possible. A rush of heat went straight to Jade's center as Tori's hands dragged along the outside of her breasts. "Dear lord Tori," Jade groaned.

Tori was delighted to have such an effect on Jade. She could feel the wetness in her own panties building. She wanted nothing then to fuck Jade's brains out right then and there, and, despite the fact that they had been reunited for less than 24 hours and had yet to talk about how they felt or where Jade had disappeared to, she couldn't think of a reason not to. She had half a mind to remove her hands from Jade and make it so that they talked. When she went to take her hands away however, she found she couldn't. She loved touching Jade too much to stop. As if her hands were moving on their own accord, she felt the skin of Jade's back underneath her palms. Jade moaned in approval so she continued her exploration. As she felt the expanse of Jade's back, she suddenly remembered the multiple scars that lay there. Unfortunately, Jade remembered the same exact thing at the same exact time. She gasped and ripped herself away from Tori. Tori couldn't know about the scars- not yet; It would only make her more determined to find out the truth. Seeing the sad, hurt look in those brown eyes though, Jade instantly felt bad. Trying to cover for herself, she stuttered, "I- Don't- It's."

"It's okay," Tori said sadly. "I know that that moment in the car was so long ago. Things change."

Jade's eyes widened as she realized that Tori thought that Jade was regretting the last few minutes. "No!" She said forcefully, stepping back closer to the Latina and grabbing her hand. "That's not why I pulled away. Truth is, I haven't stopped thinking about you since I left. Actually, you were all I could think about for a long time before that. I meant what I said in the car, and it's still the truth today. Kissing you… It proved that I am indeed still very much in love with you Tori."

At those words, Tori was overcome with emotion. She smiled as her eyes filled with tears. "I am still in love with you too Jade. I never stopped." Tori loved how Jade lit up when she heard the words. But then her smile faded as a thought occurred to her. "But I need to know what happened to you Jade. I was so sad, so heartbroken for so long after you left. I don't blame you or anything; I had connected two and two together. The words you said that night played over and over in my mind and I realized you had known you were leaving. I had no idea where you went and no way to contact you. I missed you like crazy- I missed what we could've had knowing that there was love between us. I thought I'd never see you again," her voice cracked and a few tears slid down her face as she placed her hand on Jade's cheek. "And now here you are. It's my dreams come true. But I gotta know Jade. You know you can trust me with anything- don't you?"

Jade stayed silent, letting Tori's words sink in and trying to decide whether to tell her or not. She had thought that maybe the biggest reason why she hadn't yet told Tori what happened over the past seven years was that she might not be able to trust Tori to not only handle it but to keep it a secret. But maybe that wasn't it at all. As Tori's big brown eyes looked at her, Jade realized that, yes, she did trust Tori. She had trusted Tori even when she had hated her. She had trusted Tori enough to follow through with her word to help find someone to fund her play, to help her run the play so it would be just as she'd wanted it to impress her father, to go to her house sobbing and beg her to help her fix things with Beck, and to help her and Cat get back at those two awful girls who had cheated at Karaoke Doke. She had trusted Tori numerous times after that too. And Tori had never failed her. Tori would never fail her. So why did she feel sick at the thought of telling Tori her secret? "It's not that I don't trust you Tor," Jade said slowly, "Because I do. But can we please just not have this conversation now? Please?"

Tori frowned deeper at Jade's begging. She wanted so badly for Jade to confide in her, but she could see the fear in Jade's eyes. Clearly Jade just wasn't ready to talk about it yet. She sighed, "Alright Jade. We don't have to talk about it now. But you will tell me soon right?"

Jade knew Tori would never let it go, no matter how badly Jade just wanted to put it behind her and go back to having a normal life. She nodded, "Yes. I will tell you soon. But for now, I think we should call up all our friends and tell them I'm back from the dead."


	3. Chapter 3

As soon as Tori had called all their friends, Tori and Andre's apartment was literally taken over. Cat, Trina, Beck, Carly, Sam, Freddie, Gibby, Spencer, and Sikowitz had immediately rushed over to see for themselves that Jade was really back. Everyone was excited and happy; Cat screamed so loud that the landlord from the first floor came up to make sure that no one died. Jade, who had never been much of a hugger, gladly accepted the bear-hug her old best friend gave her as well as a hug from everyone else and even returned them. Tori and Andre could see that the group wasn't going anywhere anytime soon so they put out some snacks and drinks so everyone could get comfortable. Tori watched from the kitchen bar counter over at the entertainment area where everyone was crammed, either sitting on the sofa or chairs or the floor. Jade sat in the middle, listening with rapt attention as everyone caught her up on their life. She put in an insult every now and then of course, especially when Cat told Jade of her and Trina's wedding and of the two kids they'd adopted, but other than that she seemed to be honestly interested in what had happened since she'd disappeared. Tori remembered Jade's reaction to her asking where she'd gone and couldn't help but wonder what she'd say if and when someone (probably Cat) asked her the same question. Before everyone arrived, Tori had asked her.

"_Jade? What are you going to tell everyone else? You know about where you went?"_

_Jade shrugged, "I'll probably just lie or something."_

"_Well that might work on mostly everyone, but it won't work on Beck," Tori pointed out. "He's always been able to tell when you were lying or hiding something."_

"_That may be, but I'm still not going to tell him."_

_Tori could tell Jade was starting to get annoyed, but she persisted, "Did Andre ask this morning before I came out?"_

_Jade turned to face her and glared, "Of course he asked Vega, and I lied. What are you so concerned about? My lying skills are fantastic."_

_Tori blushed, and she looked away, "I don't know."_

_Jade went silent for a moment. Then she stepped forward until she could put one hand on Tori's shoulder and the other under her chin to force her head to look at her, "Trust me Tori. When I decide to tell the truth, you'll be the first and probably the only one I'll tell it to. Okay?"_

The way Jade's eyes pierced through her, Tori knew Jade was telling the truth. She couldn't help but still wait for that moment though- when someone asked. She knew Beck would probably call her out on lying. Sure, she was concerned for Jade, knowing that this was clearly something Jade didn't want to share; she didn't want Jade being made uncomfortable or anything, but she also wanted Jade to trust her, above anyone else. Maybe that was selfish, but Tori loved Jade and Jade still loved Tori. If they were going to work out, they were going to have to be honest with one another. And god, did Tori want the two of them to work out.

"You're thinking so hard you almost crushed your glass baby sis."

Tori blinked away her thoughts and looked up to see Trina sitting next to her. "Hey Treen," Tori sighed.

"What's wrong Tori? I thought you would've been ecstatic to have the girl you desired back."

Tori gaped at her wide-eyed, "How did you-"

"Oh come on! Don't think I don't know you. You've been in love with Jade since forever. You may not have said anything about it, but I knew something happened graduation night between you two- before she left. Hell, I knew something was between you when you came home after your first day at HA covered in iced coffee. I knew you didn't realize it yet though so I stayed quiet. When did that change?"

Tori's head swirled at the knowledge of her sister's words, but answered, "Oh. Um. Well I guess I noticed my feelings change after our forced date at Nozu and that play where we played husband and wife. I think after she got back with Beck and I realized how sad, angry, and jealous that made me was when I was sure; I thought she had been singing that song to me and had this incredible urge to go up there and kiss her, but then I realized she'd been pointing at Beck…" Tori's voice deepened as she remembered the rage and jealousy she had felt in that moment and still felt now when she thought about it.

"Mmhmm. That's what I thought," Trina smirked proudly, "So why are you over here instead of over there with her?"

Tori shrugged, "Giving her some space I guess. Letting her soak up all the attention. She hasn't seen any of us in years after all."

Trina narrowed her eyes at her, "That may be true, but why don't you give me the real reason."

"She said she still loves me, but I don't think she trusts me. Something happened that night- something that made Jade feel like she had to say goodbye to me and confess her feelings like she was never gonna see me again." Tori lowered her voice to a whisper and leaned closer, "Trina, her back is covered in scars. Scars that I'm pretty sure weren't there seven years ago. Something bad happened to her… But she won't tell me what it is."

Trina's eyes had widened at the scars part, but then she took a deep breath and said, "Well if something horrible had happened to you, something that stole you from your friends and family and the life you wanted, something that may have been physically, emotionally, and mentally scarring, would you want to blurt that out?"

Tori thought, "No, I guess not. I just- if she wants to be with me, she'd tell the truth right?"

Trina shrugged, "Did she say she was never going to tell you?"

"No."

"Well then maybe you should just take a chill pill, let her get reused to this life, and let her tell you in her own time. If she said she'd tell you, she will."

Tori look at Trina oddly, "Since when are you on Jade's side? And so wise?"

Trina smiled and flipped her hair, "I've always been wise baby sister, and I'm not really on Jade's side. I'm just getting you to see her point of view so you'll go over there and sit with her. She's been glancing at you all night as if she's waiting for you. And you people think I'm dumb?"

Tori laughed, "Alright alright. Calm down." Tori got up and walked toward the group. Sam was in the middle of a story about how she beat up 47 guys who'd tried to flirt with Carly since they'd gotten together, making Jade laugh and high five her as she asked about their injuries. But when she saw Tori coming over, Jade smiled at her and patted the spot next to her. Tori smiled widely back and joined her. Jade leaned slightly against Tori and continued listening. Tori was sure she had a big, goofy smile on her face but she didn't care. She felt whole and happy at Jade's side, like she belonged there. She caught both Andre and Beck's eye and saw they were giving her a knowing look. Andre smiled crookedly, silently saying, "Well don't you look all happy next to your girl there chica?" Beck looked between them and winked, making Tori chuckle before turning her attention back to Sam and Jade.

All through everyone's stories, Jade leaned against Tori, reaching for handfuls of chips and popcorn and holding her hand between them so they could share. Tori felt like they were a real couple and couldn't be happier. Of course, every good thing must come to an end because, just as Tori predicted, Cat suddenly asked, "Jade, where did you go after graduation?"

The room fell silent. Everyone wanted to know the answer- the reason behind the incident that had hit them so hard and left them noticing the big hole left in their group. Tori froze; she could sense Jade's whole body tense and stiffen. They'd both known it was coming, but they'd hoped it wouldn't anyway. Tori gulped as she waited for Jade's lie.

Jade took a deep breath and answered, "My dad made me move away with him, cancelling all contact so that I could forget my life leading up to then and the dreams I had formed about being a producer."

Her answer was met with silence. Tori could feel Jade's tension growing with every passing second. Needing to rescue Jade, she said, "Hey! Sikowitz! Tell her how you and Spencer hooked up."

The group all turned to the older man and shouted the agreement.

"Well alright," Sikowitz sighed dramatically, "It was a windy, autumn Tuesday and I had just finished my last coconut…"

Tori and Jade both sighed in relief. Jade sent Tori a grateful look, to which Tori smiled and nodded. Then Jade pecked a quick kiss to her cheek before turning back to watch an animated Sikowitz tell his story. Tori blushed, and her smile widened. She moved closer to Jade and was please when Jade not only allowed it but leaned in closer as well, relaxing into Tori. Tori couldn't remember feeling so happy in a long time.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~~

It was about midnight when everyone finally left. Andre held the door open as the last to leave went through. Then he closed it and leaned his back against it as he let out, "Phew! Thought they'd never leave!"

Tori chuckled as she gathered the garbage, "Well it's not every day one of your friends returns from the dead."

"You guys should be more appreciative. I just improved your social lives," Jade smirked, sounding just like her old self- her true self.

Tori and Andre laughed and rolled their eyes. When they'd collected the mess, Andre stretched and yawned, "Well. I'm heading off to bed. I don't think my manager was happy about me skipping on recording today which means he'll ride me extra hard tomorrow. Night you guys."

"Night," they both called.

Once he was gone, Tori asked, "Wanna head back to my room? It can get kinda chilly out here at night." Proving her point, Tori shivered as a wave of cold air hit her sleeveless arms.

Jade shrugged, "Sure." She led the way down the hall to Tori's room as Tori locked the door and turned off all the lights.

Tori closed her door behind her and watched as Jade flopped down on her bed. "Have fun today?" Tori asked.

"Yah actually. It was nice seeing everyone again. God, I can't believe Spencer and Sikowitz are a couple. I mean, they're both man-children so it makes sense that they would be good for each other but still. Who knew? And Cat and Trina have kids! I always thought they had a thing for each other- Cat always seemed obsessed with your sister, but kids? And they haven't killed them or lost them or anything? That's impressive."

They both laughed in agreement. When that died out, Jade sat up to look at Tori. Her expression was somewhere between love, gratefulness, and awe, "And thanks for stepping in when Cat asked where I've been. I knew one of em would ask but I still hoped they wouldn't."

Tori shrugged and looked away to hide her blush, "No problem."

Jade looked at her a moment more, waiting for her to look back up. When she did, Jade patted the bed next to her like before. Tori went and sat down. Jade instantly leaned against her and reached for Tori hand. She entwined their fingers and squeezed her hand gently. "And thanks for being so patient with me. I understand why you'd wanna know. I just… can't tell you yet."

"It's okay. When Trina came over and talked to me earlier she made me realize it might be a little unfair to feel hurt because of you not telling me. You'll tell me when you're ready and that's what matters. Right?" Tori looked at her with a hopeful smile.

Jade looked back up and smiled back, "Right."

Tori's smile widened then she noticed how tired Jade looked and said, "Come on. Let's hit the hay. I've gotta go back to the studio tomorrow. You can come with me if you want?"

Jade followed Tori as she got up and started getting ready for bed. "I'd like that- as long as I don't have to wake up early."

Tori laughed, "Is 8:30 too early?"

Jade grimaced, "Ouch! That might be a deal breaker."

"Hey!" Tori laughed as she threw a pillow at Jade.

Jade laughed and threw one right back. Then, while Tori was distracted trying to catch said pillow, she jumped across the bed, reaching for Tori's sides. "It's the Tickle Twins!" she shouted and began tickling Tori unmercifully, pulling her down onto the bed.

Tori squealed and laughed as she tried to get away. "NO! JADE! STOP! AHH! STOP IT! JADE!" she shouted between laughs and trying to breathe.

Finally, Jade let her go so she could gasp. They both fell back onto the bed with smile on their faces. When Tori's pants finally calmed down, Jade turned to her and said, "I'd love to go with you tomorrow."

"Yay!" Tori squealed happily.

Jade chuckled and rolled her eyes affectionately. She got up and turned off the lights. When she got back into bed, she snuggled up next to Tori and said quietly, "Night Vega."

"Night West."

Jade chuckled and held Tori close as sleep quickly took them over.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

"Ugh! God, that is one awful stench!" a man said after he'd gagged on the horrible odor.

The other man with him nodded his head as his face turned a sickly green, "You can say that again."

"Joe! Bob! In here!" a third male voice called from the next room.

The first two men took off to find their partner standing in the bathroom. He was standing over a bathtub, looking down into it. The other two stepped forward until they could see what their partner saw. "Oh dear Lord," said the first man, Joe, his face paling at the sight. Bob just looked even more green and like he was about to faint.

The third man said, "Better call the Medical Examiner. We found Sloane Remeire."

As the three cops set about calling the ME and securing the crime scene, the lifeless body was left in the bathtub. It had been cut in half, right across the stomach, a huge gaping wound in his neck and deep scratch marks up and down his arms. His fingers had been cut off and were missing as was his penis. Judging by the decay, he'd been there quite awhile- maybe a week or two at least- and had been left in water, which had evaporated. His cloudy, sightless eyes were still glaring as they had been when he died, piercing whoever looked into them with complete and utter hatred.


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: Later in the chapter I say that Tori writes "Without You". This is only because I am incapable of creating my own song lyrics so I had to borrow a song and this one seemed to be perfect. Just letting you know so nobody gets confused and thinks "Without You" is something it's not. It's from RENT.

"I'm so excited you came with me!" Tori jumped around excitedly, gripping Jade's hand tight as she pulled her along to her studio.

Jade couldn't help but laugh at the Latina's enthusiasm. "So am I. Can't wait to see you belt out some tunes."

Tori giggled as she ran in to see her manager and record producer there waiting for her. They turned to welcome her, giving Jade confused glances. Both men knew Tori's preference for women. They didn't care. But Tori could tell they were wondering if Jade was Tori's knew girlfriend. "Morning Mason. Morning Criss. This is Jade West. Do you remember her Mason? She was the one who was supposed to take my place at the Platinum Music Awards but didn't."

"Ugh. Don't remind me," Jade joked.

"Ah yes. I do remember," Mason smiled slightly at her.

The other man, Criss, a tall man with long, black hair and black clothes nodded to her, "Nice to meet you. You hangin' around today?"

Jade stood proudly as she responded, "Yes I am."

"Well that's good. You can keep Tori company while we head to an emergency meeting with Kelly Clarkson," Jade's eyes widened, but Tori just calmly frowned slightly. ('_Maybe she's already met Kelly Clarkson,'_ Jade told herself.) Mason continued, "I was just getting ready to call you to tell you when you walked in. Of course, as usual, you can hang around here, practice, or whatever. I do expect us to continue when we're done with Kelly though. So if you go far, at least be reachable by phone."

Tori stood straight-backed and faked a salute, "Aye aye Cap'n."

Jade had to drop her head to hide her giggle and rolling of her eyes. Mason and Criss seemed to be used to Tori's tomfoolery so they just said their goodbyes and left. Once they were gone, Tori headed over to where there was a small platform type area. She went to the table to pour herself a cup of coffee. "Want some?" she asked over her shoulder.

"Sure. Black," Jade answered as she looked around.

"Yah. I remember how you like it," Tori said quietly.

Jade continued to look around as if she hadn't heard. She was fascinated by the huge electrical board in front of the recording room. She felt a bit sad being reminded of the life she had dreamed for herself- the life that had been snatched from her. Tori appeared by her side just then and handed her the coffee. She could sense Jade's regrets but decided to leave it alone. "So what do you wanna do? We could get out of here and go do some shopping? Goof around her for a while? Whatever you want."

Jade turned to smile at her, "Let's just stay here."

Tori smiled back, "Okay!" she sipped her coffee before turning to look at the three guitars and piano that were sitting in the recording booth. An idea came to her. "You still play and sing?" she asked.

Jade shrugged, "Haven't since Hollywood Arts, but I think I still could."

"Must be like riding a bike. Or swimming. Once you learn it well enough, you never forget it," Tori wondered aloud, thinking what it would be like if she were to take a break from playing, singing, swimming, or riding a bike for years at a time. She shook the thought away, wanting to focus on Jade. She grabbed Jade's free hand and, as she began to pull her into the other room, said, "Come on. Let's play."

"I like the sound of that," Jade couldn't help but make her voice all deep and husky. When Tori looked over at her with one eyebrow raised, she winked with a smirk. Tori giggled and rolled her eyes, but otherwise ignored her. She picked up the acoustic guitar and put the strap around her. Jade sat down at the piano. While Tori moved a chair around so she could sit facing Jade, Jade gently ran her fingers over the piano without pressing them hard enough to make noise. It had been years since she'd played any instrument, even longer since she'd sang. After being forced to leave, the two things reminded her too much of Hollywood Arts, the life she wanted, the life she missed, and Tori. Without Tori her singing voice literally died inside her. It was odd, she couldn't really explain it. But whenever she'd tried singing, she either didn't feel the music inside her and therefore sounded like crap or she just couldn't produce a voice. That had been before things had gotten really bad and after that she didn't even try at all. She wondered if her voice would be raw from being unused for so long or broken completely. She used to be so proud of her voice; it may not have been the career path she would've chosen but she knew she could really sing, and it had been something that brought her joy. She hadn't realized before how much that bothered her, how much she missed music and singing. And now that she was presented with the opportunity to do it again, she was nervous.

Tori watched Jade for a few minutes as she ghosted her hands over the keys. She had this far-off, deep-in-concentration-and-memories look. Tori wondered if Jade had been telling the truth when she said she hadn't even sung since Hollywood Arts. She must have been for her to look like that, like singing was suddenly the scariest, most difficult thing in the world. Tori pondered how to ease Jade into singing. Then an idea came, and she smiled. She strummed the strings on the guitar and quietly, slowly begun to sing.

"_Here I am_

_Once again_

_Feeling lost_

_But now and then_

_I breathe it in_

_To let it go"_

Jade looked at Tori with a wide-eyed look. Then when she saw Tori was trying to get her to sing the song that had gotten Tori into Hollywood Arts, the song that became the inspiration behind Tori's locker, the song they had sang when they all thought they were going to die in Beck's RV from heat exhaustion, the song they'd sang along with the iCarly guys' song, Jade slowly smiled.

"_And you don't know where you are now_

_Or what it would come to_

_If only somebody could hear_

_When you figure out how_

_You're lost in the moment_

_You disappear"_

Tori looked at her, silently giving her her cue. Jade took a deep breath and sung the chorus along with her.

"_You don't have to be afraid_

_To put your dream in action_

_You're never gonna fade_

_You'll be the main attraction_

_Not a fantasy_

_Just remember me_

_When it turns out right"_

Jade's voice was a little shaky and pitchy at first, but she was overjoyed to know it still worked. The way Tori smiled happily and proudly at her gave her the courage to put more into it.

"'_Cause you know that if you live in your imagination_

_Tomorrow you'll be everybody's fascination_

_In my victory_

_Just remember me_

_When I make it shine"_

Tori continued playing but let Jade have the solo. Her heart swelled as Jade got more and more confident and happy-looking, her voice returning to what it had once been. Utterly beautiful and powerful.

"_Reaching high_

_Feeling low_

_I'm holding on but letting go_

_I like to shine_

_I'll shine for you_

_And it's time to show the world how_

_It's a little bit closer_

_As long as I'm ready to go_

_All we have is right now_

_As long as you feel it inside you know"_

Tori joined back in for the chorus, and together they belted the rest of song.

"_[Chorus]_

_Everyone can tell you how_

_It's all been said and done (oh whoa oh)_

_That harder times will change your mind_

_And make you wanna run_

_But you want it_

_And you need it_

_Like you need to breathe the air_

_If they doubt you_

_Just believe it_

_That's enough to get you there_

_[Chorus]"_

As the song ended, they both finished with a strong, loud bang by standing up and putting their arms over their head. When they finished they both collapsed into their seats. For a moment they just stared at each other, then Jade erupted in joyous, uncontrollable laughter. Tori felt herself fall under the spell of Jade's laughter and let it take her over, making her laugh uncontrollably as well. When Jade finally stopped laughing, she smiled widely at Tori. "My voice works again!" She said victoriously.

Tori giggled, "It sure does! Wanna do another?"

Jade nodded excitedly and, for the next few hours, they sang happily together.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

Joe rubbed his fingers over his temples as his eyes grew tired and weak and his headache transformed into a migraine. He and his fellow cops had spent hours at the house of Sloane Remeire the day before. The smell had spread through the whole house, making them all feel sick by the time everything had been processed. When they were done, they had taken all their pictures and evidence back to their headquarters to go over it, trying to piece together what had happened the Remeire. Once word had spread that the highly wanted man had been found slain in the house, everyone had been stopping by his desk to ask for details. And after going over everything for the rest of the previous day, through the night, and into the morning, he and his team had nothing. It was driving Joe absolutely nuts.

Sloane Remeire was previously one of the most wanted people in the country. They had a whole list of things against him- murder, identity theft, armed robbery, kidnapping, drug smuggling, and arms distribution to name the biggest crimes. But probably the one that Joe considered one of the most heinous was the serial rape of underage girls. Joe had a 15 year old daughter himself, and had been forced to worry about her safety more than usual when multiple girls had either gone missing- never to be found again- or had been later found with a story of being raped. There was no pattern to the rapes other than them being in their teens. It was only the survivors' description of their rapist that led them to believe Remeire was a suspect. The man had gone from place to place, always being two steps ahead of the police, never leaving a trail behind him until he grabbed a girl or several. No one had been able to find him until Joe's precinct had gotten a tip from a neighbor of Remeire's. That had been what led them to the house the previous day. It wasn't exactly a surprise to find the offensive man dead. Hell, Joe had even considered it to be a gift; the man deserved to die and die brutally by the looks of it, and he wasn't the only one who thought so. There were only two negative parts to finding him dead. One, they wouldn't be able to get him to confess where the bodies of the other girls he'd kidnapped and raped were (because let's face the cold, hard truth- they were almost certainly dead by now). Two, now they had to figure out and find whoever killed the son of a bitch.

Personally, Joe wanted to congratulate and thank said person for ridding the world of such a horrible man. But the law doesn't work that way. Murder is murder no matter if the person deserved it or not. The only clue they had to go on was that it appeared he'd kept his prisoners in the basement. They had found cages, chains, hooks, and a mattress among other things. The sight made Joe sick to his stomach, making him picture his own little girl chained up and raped. When they had taken a closer look around, they'd found that one of the chains had been ripped from the wall and there was a pile of blood by the mattress. According to their ME, that had probably been where Remeire had his throat slit judging by the amount of blood. They were running the blood now as well as all the other evidence. If it was proved that girls had been kept down there, it could give them the possibility that one of them had broken free, killed him, and escaped. That would narrow down their suspects. Though Joe partially hoped that wouldn't be the case. He would hate to arrest a young girl who had been put through hell and killed the person responsible for said hell.

Other than that possibility, they figured that it could have also been a revenge seeking parent or a rival drug lord. They had so many paths this could go down, but no clues as to which one yet. The more Joe looked, the more frustrated he got. Bob and the fourth member of their team Alex had already decided to give up for the time being and go home for some rest, but Joe had stayed hoping to find some answers. Suddenly, a bottle of Advil bounced on his desk. He looked up to see the team leader Rod looking down at him. "Thanks," he grumbled grabbing the bottle.

"Go home Joe. Rest. Hug that daughter of yours. When you come back in tomorrow, you'll be able to look at this with fresh eyes and mind," Rod said. His voice was gentle as if it were a suggestion, but Joe had been working with Rod for 12 years; he knew better and saw that his eyes were hardened, making it an order.

Joe sighed, knowing he had no choice, and nodded. "See you tomorrow then Boss," he said as he walked away. He would just feel better when this whole case went away.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

"Are you really sure it was a good idea to record us singing together?" Jade asked nervously as she and Tori sat down inside the restaurant. She and Tori had spent the first half of the day singing and playing and goofing off. Tori taught Jade a song she'd written but hadn't recorded yet- a love song meant to be sung as a duet. Jade had thought it was beautiful and demanded they sing it together. They had gotten it nearly perfect when they had to break for lunch. They had ordered a pizza and ate it then went back to singing when Mason and Criss had returned, only the girls hadn't noticed.

"_Whenever you're ready," Tori said. When Jade gave her the 'okay' nod, Tori began to play the music on her guitar. Then Jade began to sing._

"_Without you, the ground thaws, the rain falls, the grass grows._

_Without you, the seeds root, the flowers bloom, the children play._

_The stars gleam, the poets dream, the eagles fly, without you._

_The earth turns, the sun burns, but I die, without you._

_Without you, the breeze warms, the girl smiles, the cloud moves._

_Without you, the tides change, the boys run, the oceans crash._

_The crowds roar, the days soar, the babies cry, without you._

_The moon glows, the river flows, but I die, without you._

_TORI:_

_The world revives_

_JADE:_

_Colors renew_

_BOTH:_

_But I know blue, only blue, lonely blue, within me blue._

_JADE:_

_Without you._

_Without you, the hand gropes, the ear hears, the pulse beats._

_TORI:_

_Without you, the eyes gaze, the legs walk, the lungs breathe._

_The mind churns!_

_JADE:_

_The mind churns!_

_TORI:_

_The heart yearns!_

_JADE:_

_The heart yearns!_

_BOTH:_

_The tears dry, without you._

_Life goes on, but I'm gone._

_Cause I die, without you._

_JADE:_

_Without you._

_TORI:_

_Without you._

_BOTH:_

_Without you."_

_When the song ended, they stared at each other for a moment until they were interrupted by clapping. They both looked over to see Mason and Criss clapping at them in awe. Jade and Tori both blushed at having their moment interrupted._

"_My God," Mason exclaimed, "That was bloody brilliant. You two sound wonderful together."_

_They both laughed awkwardly. "Thanks," Tori said as she tried to ignore the blush on her face._

"_I say they should do it again," Criss looked at Mason._

_Mason got the underlying message and said, "Yes! Brilliant! What would you two say to doing that again and letting it be recorded? Tori's next album was almost finished, but we could add it on there. Or we could release this as a special single. That can be worked out later, but what do you two say recording that?"_

_Tori and Jade shared a look. Seeing that Jade didn't have a problem with the idea, she nodded at the men, "Alright. Let's do it!"_

So they had set up the microphones and equipment before singing it once again. Jade was a bit nervous at first, but then her eyes found Tori's and her unease melted away. It felt so good and natural to be singing a duet with Tori- just like it had when they'd sung "Take a Hint". It hadn't taken very long to get it done. After that, Tori recorded one of the songs she was supposed to get done today and then they'd called it a day, deciding to stop for dinner before going home.

"Of course I'm sure!" Tori exclaimed, "It was fun, and we sounded amazing. And maybe that'll get you some recognition. Plus, I really liked sharing that with you."

Jade felt herself relax as she melted at Tori's words, "Yah. I liked sharing that with you two."

Just then their food arrived, and they paused their conversation as the waiter placed down their meals. When he left, they started to eat in comfortable silence until Tori said, "Wanna know a secret?"

Jade raised an eyebrow in curiosity, "Sure Vega."

"I wrote that song for you."

Jade's eyes widened at the words. "What?" she gasped.

Tori blushed and looked away, "I wrote it years ago. I needed a song that captured how I felt after you vanished. At first I wasn't sure whether I'd record it or not; no one seemed good enough to sing it with me since it was supposed to be for you. But then as time went on, it sorta went to the back of my mind. I'm not sure why I decided to share it with you today, but I'd have done it eventually." She looked back up into the sapphires that were Jade's eyes as she said, "I just wanted you to know that the song was for you."

Jade was shocked into silence. She had never had someone write a song for/about her before. She was instantly hit with just how deeply Tori loved her, and it amazed her. The amount of awe and love she felt in return at that moment took her by surprise as well. She had no idea how to tell Tori just how she felt, so instead she leaned over the table, grabbed gently onto her hair, and pulled their faces together until their lips met in a searing kiss. Jade tried to pour everything she felt into the kiss, hoping Tori would understand. For a moment, Tori was frozen as she let Jade's emotions flow through their lips. Then she melted when she felt just how appreciative Jade was and responded back with as much heat as she was getting. It was then that both girls realized this was the first kiss they'd shared in seven years. They noticed that it hardly felt like that; it felt like they had been kissing each other for years. It was then they realized that it felt like returning home.


	5. Chapter 5

For the next week, things went on as they typically would only with the addition of Jade's permanent moving in. Jade, though she wanted to stay and live with Tori, hadn't planned on staying. She told Tori and Andre that she wanted to look for her own place. Technically, she still had an account, as well as access to her father's; she could take some money out to at least get started and then she'd look for a job. She didn't want to intrude or overstay her welcome. Tori and Andre however, would have absolutely none of that. Their flat was already fully paid for; they'd combined their money, with some help from Tori's parents, and worked up a deal with the landlord and apartment building owner so that they could buy the place for permanent residence. Not that they wouldn't have been able to pay rent; they both made a steady income, and Tori was rich now. But they had both loved the flat so much that they knew they wouldn't want to live anywhere else for years. Not only that, but neither Andre nor Tori was willing to let Jade leave. Period. They both practically begged her to stay. Of course, they had some different reasons for wanting the pale girl around. Andre had missed the friendship they'd had back in middle and high school and wanted to rekindle that. Tori, on the other hand, never wanted Jade too far away. She'd lost Jade once; she wasn't going through that again. Jade was lucky Tori even let her out of her sight even when she didn't want to. Jade took pity on their begging, secretly wanting to stay, and said yes. The only condition was that she'd get to sleep in Tori's bed. Tori had giggled at that and said she hadn't planned on letting Jade sleep anywhere else.

Over that week, Jade and Andre had gone to dinner thrice, reconnecting. Andre told Jade all about his girlfriend Marlene, and how deeply in love with her he was. Jade teased him about it, but demanded to meet her. So on the latest dinner, Jade and Tori and Andre and Marlene went on a double date. Tori had already met Marlene, so now it was Jade's turn to deem her worthy for their friend. Andre and Tori had both secretly warned her that Jade might mercilessly and cruelly tease her as her own right-of-passage. Marlene passed with flying colors, going the extra mile to tease Jade back on a few things, earning Jade's respect. She'd also met up with Beck for coffee and Cat for lunch once. It was nice seeing Cat alone so they could reform the best-friendship they'd had all throughout grade school as well as catching up with Beck; they had decided not to tell anyone they'd broken up again before graduation (it was a whole lot messy that time) but decided to stay friends. They'd fallen out of love with each other by then, but still meant a great deal to each other all the same. It felt nice for them to just drink coffee and talk together, as if nothing had ever changed.

Almost a week since Jade had showed up in Tori's room, Jade and Tori met up with Cat and Trina at a nearby park so that Jade would be able to meet Cat and Trina's kids. It was clear by the way they screamed excitedly and ran at Tori when they spotted them coming that they adored their Aunty Tori. But, by the end of the day, her friends' daughter and son, Amelia and Marty, made it obvious that their newest Aunty Jade was their favorite too. Jade had to admit the little buggers were quite adorable. Amelia looked like a mini-Cat only with Trina's brown hair, which was really weird considering they'd adopted, and was such a little diva, belting out songs and dancing- quite well, Jade might add, for her age of eight. Marty, an adorable five-year old with light brown eyes and reddish-brown hair who'd been born prematurely and, as a result, would probably be smaller for his age for his whole life, was more shy, but had stolen Jade's heart by refusing to stop holding on to her hand and sharing all his toys and snacks with her- his eyes lighting up every time she told him how cool his toys were and how nice he was to share with her. It was clear to Jade that the little boy would grow up to be an incredible, kind, and generous boy/man while Amelia might have a shot at being a star herself. She had never been too fond of kids, but Amelia and Marty immediately made their ways into her heart. So much so that she basically ordered Cat and Trina to let her visit with them soon and as often as possible. Trina told her that they didn't live too far away, so Jade could visit whenever she wanted. "As long as you call first," Cat winked at Jade, making Jade chuckle and, once again, think about how shocked she was that Cat and Trina had made it together. When Tori and Jade returned home that night, they were a little more tired than usual; playing with the two kids taking more energy out of them than ether could believe. They went to bed and fell asleep almost immediately.

It was now two days after that day. Tori and Jade had just spent the morning finishing Tori's new album. They'd decided to put the song they'd sang together on it. Jade was a little nervous about that but also excited. Currently, they were having lunch outside then planned to run a few errands. To both girls, it felt as if nothing had ever separated them, like they'd been together for all these years. They lived and moved as if they were connected telepathically. Like at this moment for example, at the same moment that Tori grabbed the salt to put on their fries, Jade grabbed the pepper shaker and together they shook them until, once more at the same time, they stopped and put them down. It seemed so normal, felt so right, that neither girl thought about it much or really even noticed it. As Tori talked animatedly about her new record, Jade listened. Then, when she decided to shut the other girl up, Jade shoved a fry in Tori's mouth. Tori froze, giving Jade a look that said, "Yes? Why did you put a fry in my mouth while I was in the middle of a sentence?"

Jade just smirked and leaned over to start eating the slender potato from one end until she met Tori's lips. Tori smiled as she responded to the kiss, one hand coming up to the back of Jade's head to keep her there for a moment longer. When Jade pulled away, she continued chewing and swallowed before smirking, "Good to know I can use my lips to shut you up."

Tori glared half-heartedly, "Or you could just tell me to stop talking."

Jade faked looking shocked, "Are you saying that you wouldn't rather I use my lips?"

Tori opened her mouth to retort but came up short, making her look like a gasping fish.

Jade chuckled before pressing her lips once more to Tori's, deepening it by sliding closer to her, putting one hand on the side of her head, pulling gently on the hair behind Tori's ear where she'd discovered was one of Tori's hot spots, and resting one hand on her upper thigh. The kiss had Tori's head spinning, her heart racing, a rush of heat jolting from where Jade's hand was on her thigh to her center, and her mind, body, and soul craving more. She grabbed onto Jade when she felt the raven-haired girl pulling away, whimpering for more. Jade gladly gave her more; her own body, mind, and soul couldn't get enough of Tori and begged for more. Jade would have no problem giving herself to Tori- not anymore. She would have in the past, would've shied from being touched in any way from anyone. But she trusted her friends, and she especially trusted Tori and knew the Latina would never intentionally hurt her. And Jade wasn't as strong then as she was now, that knowledge certainly helped. Although she wanted to make love to Tori, Jade knew the truth would have to be told first. Tori deserved to know everything before they went that far and, though her need for Tori was growing with each passing day, Jade was not going cave in without Tori knowing. She refused.

When Jade finally pulled away so they could breathe, Tori smiled dreamily in silence for a moment. Jade thought it was one of the most adorable things she'd ever seen. Then Tori's eyes focused on Jade's, and she smiled, "No. I would much rather you use your mouth to shut me up."

Jade chuckled, "Good. I'm glad you agree." before going back to her lunch.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

A week. A whole WEEK had gone by and still no progress on the Sloane Remeire case. Joe was losing his mind. His team usually did so well, had such good luck at solving crimes within a fairly short amount of time. His team was the best in the precinct. And yet, here they were a week later, no closer to finding the person responsible for Remeire's death. It wasn't so much that Joe wanted to find the killer for the sake of justice or bringing peace to Remeire, because quite frankly Joe was glad he was dead. It was more about just wanting it to be over and done with. Once they caught the killer, they could put the case to rest and Joe would never have to hear the son-of-a-bitch's name again. Over the week, they had found more of Remeire's victims; the bodies of 18 teenage girls had been found buried in the back yard of the house where they'd found Remeire. They'd informed and interviewed the families, leaving them all devastated. Because of the fact that none of the families had been absolutely sure their girls were dead, Joe was willing to believe that none of them had lied when they said they had nothing to do with the man's death. The families of the girls who had survived- now they were a different story. None of them had admitted to killing him or had looked suspicious at all. But Joe had been in this business long enough now to know that: 1) people lied, and 2) some people were willing to do anything for those they loved. Anything could certainly include- and has certainly included before- murder. Though he didn't get a strong feeling that it was one of them, he wasn't willing to rule them out just yet.

The reports on the crime scene came back. There were no fingerprints other than Remeire's and some of his known accomplices anywhere, which was remarkable considering they'd expected the fingerprints of girls at least down in the basement. The blood from the basement had been Remeire's. They'd yet to find the man's missing body parts. The only things that had been on the property that hadn't belonged to Remeire's were part of a tampon wrapper and two different strands of hair. The wrapper had been looked at in depth, resulting in the find of a partial print. But it wasn't complete enough for them to get any matches on it. And the two strands of hair, one blonde and one black, had also been tested. The blonde strand belonged to one of the victims they'd found in the backyard. The black strand however didn't have a follicle at end nor anything else for them to get a match from. It was almost as if a phantom had killed Remeire, leaving no trace behind whatsoever. Joe knew, whoever this person was or is, they were incredibly smart. They knew how to clean up after themselves and how to leave nothing incriminating behind. It made Joe wonder if maybe they should be scared of this person who could kill so brutally and leave no evidence.

It was around lunch time a week after Remeire's body had been found when Rod's phone went off. Joe and his teammates looked to their boss expectantly, hoping to get some kind of lead. Rod, in his usual manner, said little to whoever was on the other line, only responding with a "Yup" every now and then. When the conversation was over, Rod slammed the phone down without even saying goodbye. He sat for a moment, glaring at the phone, until Alex asked quietly, nervously, "What was that about Boss?"

Rod looked up at them, his eyes hard. Joe could tell a million thoughts were running around the other man's head. "Three other bodies have been found."

When Rod didn't continue, Joe asked, "So why are they calling us? They want us to push this case aside and take that one?"

"They think whoever killed Remeire may have killed these three men as well," Rod growled before shooting to his feet and grabbing his gear. The other three knew that was all the information they were getting for now and collected their gear as well. They followed Rod, who'd gotten out his cell phone to call their ME to meet them at their location, in nervous silence. It seemed to Joe that he may get his answer as to whether they should be looking for a new, horrifying serial killer.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

As Tori merrily went through aisle after aisle, Jade followed behind her, pushing the cart. Tori hummed as she walked with a bounce her in step, making a big show as she grabbed items off the shelves and put them in the cart. Jade couldn't keep the smile off her face as she watched and laughed at the Latina's antics. She didn't even mind that some people would give them funny looks as Tori practically danced through the food store. She knew she was encouraging Tori by smiling and laughing, but she didn't care; it wasn't like she wanted her to stop. Tori was having a lot of fun showing off for Jade, wanting to make the pale girl laugh. It was obvious she was the goofy one in their relationship, and Tori took that very seriously. She loved Jade's smile and laugh and wanted to see it as often as possible.

"How is it that I ended up loving such a goofy weirdo?" Jade chuckled.

Tori beamed with delight, "Because opposites attract my dear Jade."

Jade lifted one eyebrow, "Are you saying I'm not a weirdo?"

"No. You definitely are. You're just a different kind of weirdo."

"Oh yah? What kind of weirdo am I then?"

Tori pretended to think deeply for a moment until Jade chucked a box of Goldfish crackers at her. Tori laughed as she caught the box before putting it in the cart. Then she jumped onto the front of it, putting her feet on the bottom rack, and leaned over the basket. "You're my kind of weirdo," she smiled lovingly.

Jade laughed before leaning over to meet Tori in a kiss. It was a quick one, but it jolted electricity through them. Every kiss they shared only served to push their need for one another higher. They finished the rest of their shopping- Tori only being stopped twice to sign autographs- and went to the check-out area. Jade helped Tori unload everything before bagging up the goods and putting them back in the cart once the items had been scanned. It was then that something caught Jade's eye and made her freeze. The rack of newspapers. Front page. Head title. As Jade read it, then reread it to be sure it said what it said, she suddenly felt as if she'd been kicked in the stomach and dunked in freezing cold water. _Serial Rapist Found Murdered In Arizona_

Jade gulped as she stepped closer to the rack, feeling as if she was moving in slow motion. When she finally reached it she read the bold subtitle underneath the main one. _Body confirmed as the highly-wanted, serial rapist Sloane Remeire._ Jade felt sick. '_No. Nononono. No,'_ she chanted mentally. Her heart was racing, stomach knotting, palms drenching in sweat. She closed her eyes as the world started to spin. It was a wonder she stayed still and standing when she thought the ground was crumbling under her feet.

"Jade?"

The sudden voice behind Jade made her jerk. She whipped around to face the person standing too close for comfort. Her back pressed against the rack of newspapers so no one could get behind her. Her arms crossed protectively over her pelvic area as she began to quake. Her eyes were wild and unseeing of the reality in front of her. Instead she was seeing _him_ coming toward her with that evil smile on his face. "Please, don't touch me," she whimpered, knowing that despite her pleas the horrible man would anyway. A hand touched her arm. She whimpered, remembering what happened when she fought him so she stayed still. But the hand was smaller and softer than she remembered. She looked down at it. It didn't look like she remembered either; it was smaller, the fingers slender, and the skin tanner. The hand also wasn't moving, wasn't holding her harshly or tight enough to leave bruises; it was a warm, gentle touch, one that felt familiar.

"Jade?" a shaky, hesitant, gentle, female voice called to her.

Instantly, she recognized the voice and was suddenly pulled from the memory. She whipped her head up, and her eyes were met with the brown eyes of the woman she loved. The eyes were full of love in return as well as worry and confusion, but she knew who they belonged to. "Oh God! Tori!" she gasped as she threw her arms around the Latina, squeezing her close and burying her face in the crook of Tori's neck. She felt the last of the flashback being chased away by the warmth of Tori's arms wrapping around her.

Despite her worry and confusion about what just happened, Tori hugged Jade close, giving the comfort Jade sought. Her heart broke as Jade shook violently in her arms. Not knowing what else to do to help her, she whispered into Jade's ear, "Shhh. It's alright baby. You're okay. I've gotchya. You're safe."

As Jade felt Tori's soothing words wash over her and seep into her wounded soul, patching her back together, she breathed in Tori's warm, sweet scent. She matched her breathing to Tori's and felt her heart rate go back to normal. Slowly, her shaking eased until it eventually stopped. She felt safe in Tori's arms and didn't want to leave them. But after the pumping in her ears stopped, she was reminded of where they were: the local food store. Slowly, reluctantly, she backed away from Tori.

Tori was just as reluctant to let her go. She kept on hand on Jade's arm as she asked quietly, "Are you okay?"

Jade nodded, "I am now."

Her voice wasn't as strong as Tori would've liked, so she wasn't convinced. Tori wanted more details, but reminded herself that they were in public. She couldn't press Jade- especially in public. So she simply nodded in response and turned back to get their cart. Luckily, not many people seemed to have noticed what had happened. Tori started to leave when she realized Jade wasn't following. She looked back. "Jade baby. You comin'?" she asked gently.

Jade nodded stiffly before grabbing one of the newspapers she'd been standing in front of. She folded it up further than it already was and stuffed it into one of the bags. Tori wondered about the action but let it go for now. Once Tori started moving again, Jade was instantly at her side, grabbing onto Tori's hand and not letting it go. Tori was incredibly worried about her love, so she pulled Jade as close as possible and squeezed her hand, silently letting her know she was there. Jade smiled slightly at Tori, letting her know she was grateful, before looking away. Tori could feel Jade's inner turmoil, could tell from the stiffness in the way she walked and the faraway, pained look in her eyes, and she knew- something was seriously very wrong.


	6. Chapter 6

When Joe and his team got to the other crime scene, they were met with another team from the precinct two counties over. Rod went to go talk to the other team leader while Joe, Bob, and Alex held back, waiting to see where they were needed. It was another house, though not as big as the last. It actually wasn't that much bigger than a trailer home with its one floor and three rooms. After a few moments, Rod motioned for them to follow him and the other leader into the house. Once he made it across the threshold, Joe gasped as his body was met with a blast of freezing cold air; it was so cold that his breath was visible and there was frost covering the surface of everything in the house. Joe knew immediately that it had been left this cold so that the bodies wouldn't decay and smell like Remeire's had. Joe looked closer at everything once he got used to the cold. He was surprised at the amount of blood that had splattered everywhere. He looked into the living room/bedroom and saw two bodies. Both were male and naked. He could see that one of the men had been beaten and was shot through the head. The other had clearly taken a worse beating as his body was covered in bruises and scratch marks; the front of his face was smashed in to the point of being unrecognizable as a human face, maybe from a large hammer or being hit repeatedly against the floor or even an axe. It was upon closer inspection that Joe realized this body was laying on its stomach, but the face was upwards. Joe cringed as he concluded that the man's neck had been broken so bad it had turned his head around. Both bodies were lying in dried pools of blood with their fingers and penises missing. Moving through the middle section of the house, which was a kitchen area, Joe went to the third section of the house- the bathroom. In there, he could see another naked man sitting on the toilet. He had been stabbed once through his mid-section, probably piercing at least one of his lungs, making it impossible for him to take a breath as the organ filled with blood. He too had had his penis cut off but oddly, not his fingers. In this man's left hand, he still clutched the magazine he'd been reading when he'd been killed, probably in a surprise attack.

Joe's thoughts on why they'd been called in were confirmed when the other team leader explained, "We read the report on Remeire, how he'd been missing his fingers and penis. Connecting that to the fact that these three men are also suspected or known rapists, we called you in. It may turn out that they aren't connected, but we have a huge case-load already. We don't mind you guys taking this one even if the two cases aren't linked if that's okay by you?"

Rod nodded his head, "Yah. We'll take it. I've got a gut feeling they're related."

The other man just simply agreed and told him they'd send over the reports they already had on the three men. Joe and the others started taking their own pictures and searching for their own evidence anyway. Rod didn't trust anyone but his own team to collect evidence about the scene, knowing that if another team made a mistake, it would his team that would have to clean up the mess. As Joe began looking through the house, he suspected it would be as clean as Remeire's. The house was spotless besides the blood and destroyed furniture that had revealed a fight may have occurred before they were killed. There were a couple dirty dishes that had been left to soak and were now stuck in frozen water as well. But other than that, if three men were supposed to be living here, if even one man was living here, it should have been messier. It was suspicious to say the least. When they were done, they left with only the bodies, samples of blood, the men's clothing, and three cell phones. It wasn't much to help them out, but Joe hoped it would at least give them some kind of clue.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

By the time, Jade and Tori returned home with the groceries, Jade was nearly back to normal. She stopped flinching at every loud noise she heard and squeezing the hell out of Tori's hand. She was breathing normally and wasn't shifting her eyes in every direction as if looking for a threat like she had been. However, she'd yet to speak. Tori was growing increasingly worried. She'd tried snapping Jade out of it by talking to her, but all Jade did was nod or smile slightly every now and then. Tori could tell she was listening but it seemed that maybe she was only doing it to remain grounded. Tori was willing to help anyway she could; if talking did that, she would do it. Tori rambled all the way home and, when they got home, she asked Jade to help her take some bags up. Jade stayed silent but did as asked. Luckily, with Jade's help, Tori didn't need to make two or more trips like usual. When they finally, made it through the threshold, Jade seemed to melt; her shoulders sank and she looked like she was about to fall asleep standing up. It hadn't occurred to Tori that Jade might've been putting a lot of effort into behaving normal. Frowning, she went to stand in front of the pale girl and slowly put a gentle hand on her shoulder. Immediately, taking Tori by surprise, Jade wrapped her arms around Tori and hugged her close. The raven-haired head nuzzle deep into Tori's neck and inhaled her smell deeply. Tori's frown grew knowing that, though Jade was more affectionate with her than she had been many years ago, a hug meant something was wrong. She wanted to ask a million questions. But she knew Jade would talk when she was ready, so instead she said quietly, "Why don't you go take a nice, long, hot shower? It'll help you relax."

Jade smiled into Tori's neck. She knew how worried Tori was; she could feel the tension in her body. She'd never had someone care more about her than Tori did. She'd figured that out about a week before that night she'd kissed Tori for the first time. She was a little slow on that uptake, but she knew it now. It was at that moment that Jade decided not to wait any longer. She would tell Tori everything. However for right now, Tori was right; she needed to calm down. A hot shower sounded lovely. "Will you come with me?" Jade asked timidly, refusing to remove herself from Tori's neck.

Tori smiled a bit, secretly loving how Jade's warm breath caressed the skin of her neck and collarbone. "If you want me to," she said just as quietly.

Jade could tell that there wasn't a lot Tori wouldn't do for her. She felt truly blessed and loved for it. Truth is, Jade would do anything for Tori right back. She pulled away slightly to look into Tori's beautiful brown eyes. She smiled gently, lovingly as she answered, "Yah Tor. I want you to."

Tori's smile couldn't help but grow at the love and honesty she saw in Jade's eyes. "Okay," she said quietly, "Just let me get the cold stuff in the fridge so it doesn't go bad, and I'll join you."

Jade nodded and said, "Don't take too long or you might miss out on seeing me naked." She said it with a smirk, making her seem like she was almost back to normal. Actually, Jade was surprised at how okay she felt; if Tori hadn't been there when she saw the news, Jade was certain she'd have been much worse off. Surely, she would've had a break down followed by a panic attack followed by another break down and then she probably would've taken off, choosing to hide and run from the news- the memories- the nightmares instead of face it all.

Tori chuckled, "I promise I'll be there in no more than five minutes."

"I'll set the timer on my phone," Jade snarked sarcastically as she removed herself from Tori's arms and started walking to the bathroom. She was smiling as she heard Tori laughing behind her. She passed Andre's room and looked in just to see if he was home. He wasn't. It was still early evening; hopefully that meant Jade and Tori could be alone for a while. She still refused to make love to Tori until she knew everything, but that didn't mean they couldn't have a little fun, right? She smiled with excitement as she stripped off her clothes before turning on the shower. Once it was at just the right temperature, she got in, sighing as she closed her eyes and let the hot water cascade over her skin. Instantly, she felt her tense muscles relaxing. Jade made a mental note to tell Tori she was a genius. She was so absorbed in soaking up the relaxing power of the water that she didn't notice Tori had entered the bathroom, closing the door and locking it behind her before undressing, until she pulled back the curtain. Jade turned to give her a smile but her breath hitched when her eyes landed on Tori's beautiful naked body. Tori too seemed moved by Jade's wet body; her eyes darkened with interest. For a moment, they just stared at each other, their eyes taking in every inch possible. Then brown eyes met blue and the spell was broken. Tori stepped in between Jade and the wall and closed the curtain.

"That was only three minutes," Tori smirked.

Jade laughed before launching herself at Tori. Tori caught her and, when Jade's lips met hers, she responded with as much heat and passion as Jade gave her. They gasped into each other's mouths as Jade's soak front met Tori's dry one; their breasts pressed together and each could feel the other's nipples hardening. Neither Jade nor Tori could remember feeling so turned on by the mere skin-to-skin contact. Both wanted- craved- needed more and four hands started roaming. Jade stepped back to pull Tori under the water so they could both feel the liquid run down their bodies; it only served in making their internal heat rise. Jade gasped into Tori's mouth as Tori tightly gripped her ass and started kneading it with her fingers and palms. Jade's hands wrapped tighter around Tori's waist and back and pulled them as close together as she could. Tori moaned quietly as Jade's bigger breasts pressed against hers, applying pressure and a bit of friction to her increasingly sensitive nipples. The sound of Tori's moan made Jade's heart skip. It seemed slightly odd to Jade that she could be so pleased, her arousal heightening, because she pleased Tori; she had never felt that way with anyone else. Yet, it also felt so good and so right. Jade suddenly had to pull her lips from Tori's to breathe. She kept her eyes closed against the stream of water and cried out when Tori unexpectedly latch her mouth on to Jade's neck. Jade tilted her head away so Tori could have more access. Tori growled slightly as Jade offered her more of her neck and she bit down. When Jade cried out with both pain and pleasure, Tori felt a jolt between her legs. Tori had never been a dominant sexual partner, but she knew that, though most of the time Jade would probably be the Dom in their relationship, Tori would get a real kick out of dominating Jade once in a while. She bit down again, and Jade whined. Tori gently ran her tongue over her bite marks, soothing the pain, before kissing the spot. She knew Jade would bear her mark for at least a few days and was thrilled. She kissed down Jade's shoulder and down towards her chest before changing route and kissing across her collarbone and up the other side of Jade's neck. Uncontrollably, Tori flicked out her tongue and ran it up Jade's jaw until she reached Jade's ear. Jade tightened her grip on Tori as she gasped, "God Tori! What are you doing to me?"

Tori smiled as she nibbled Jade's ear and whispered, "Loving you."

Jade shivered and moaned at the words. Her nails dug into the skin of Tori's back as Jade struggled to keep a grip on reality. She suddenly remembered that she still had to confess everything before they went too far and had half a mind to tell Tori to stop. She opened her mouth to do so when Tori took Jade's ear lobe into her mouth and sucked. She flicked it with her tongue before chomping down on it gently. When Tori started to pull her lobe, Jade's thoughts were forgotten as she moaned, "Please Tor. Don't- Don't stop."

Tori was overjoyed by the wanton desire she heard in Jade's voice. She let Jade's ear lobe slip from between her teeth and whispered, "With pleasure." She began kissing down Jade's neck once more and kept going down to her chest. She could feel as well as hear Jade's breath hitch as she kissed across the underside of Jade's left breast. Not wanting to hold it off any longer, Tori opened her mouth and wrapped her lips around Jade's nipple. Jade made an indescribable noise of pleasure and arched her back slightly, pressing herself closer to Tori's mouth. The nub of skin was already hard but Tori flicked it repeatedly with her tongue. When she had enough, she released it with a pop and moved to give the other hard nub the same treatment. Jade's nails scraped across Tori's skin; she was pretty sure she had broken through and brought out blood, but she didn't care- she actually kind of liked it. When she bit down gently on Jade's nipple and felt her nails scratch her deeper, Tori thought, 'Strike that. I REALLY like it.'

She released Jade's second nipple and continued kissing down the middle of her stomach. She marveled at the feel of Jade's smooth, flat stomach. Jade even had a four pack that quivered underneath the trail of her lips. Deciding to leave Jade's soaking wet center alone for now (which was really hard because Tori could smell Jade's arousal despite the ever-present flow of water, and it made Tori want to devour her without mercy then and there), she put her hands on Jade's hips and gently pushed her so she would turn around. Jade got the message and followed along, placing her hands on the wall to hold herself steady. Her heart rate increased with nervousness suddenly; she knew Tori already knew she had scars, but now Tori would be getting a very close-up-and-personal look at them. She waited, holding her breath, to see whether Tori would get grossed-out or realize Jade had too much baggage for her to deal with and leave. Tori looked over Jade's body. She had already seen and felt the scars, but both instances had been brief. Now Jade stood before her, her palms against the wall, her head bowed slightly as she panted from arousal and anticipation, presenting herself to Tori like an offering, waiting for Tori's next move. Tori was instantly warmed by the action. Jade had to be feeling uneasy and self-conscience. She was probably wondering whether Tori would leave or not because of the sight of her scars. They were all ugly-looking as if they'd been made by unsteady hands and then left to heal on their own. Jade's naturally pale skin made them look even darker and noticeable. Now that she had a clear view, Tori could see that there was evidence of older scars on her back as well. These ones were faint almost to the point of nonexistence, but Tori could see them. She also noticed the scars extended beyond Jade's back up across her shoulder blades and down over her ass. A few were also scattered across the top of the back of Jade arms. Tori's heart ached at the damage done to Jade's gorgeously sculpted body. She could only imagine what Jade must feel at the permanent reminder of what had happened- how self-conscience she must be of them. Would she ever be able to walk around in a bikini? Or around the house naked? And yet, she felt so honored that Jade would allow her to see them. Wanting to show Jade how much she appreciated that honor, she gently placed her hands back on Jade's hips. She ignored the slight flinch and leaned forward. Gently, lovingly, she kissed one of Jade's thickest and largest scars at the center of her lower back.

Jade was frozen with shock. Not only did Tori not run away like she expected her to, but she was kissing the scars. Why the hell was Tori kissing her scars? When Tori's mouth moved from that scar down to one on Jade's ass though, she couldn't stop the gasp that escaped her mouth. Hearing the gasp, Tori decided to do it again to another scar even lower and closer to her crack. Jade whimpered and her head dropped. Tori's kiss was then pressed on a scar on her other cheek, and instantly, Jade tension fled. What really did Jade in, though, was when Tori decided to open her mouth and gently bite the scar. Jade moaned, "Dear God. Do that again." She had no idea why she found this so incredibly pleasurable, but no way in hell did she want Tori to stop.

Tori happily obliged, lightly teething the previous scar. She smirked when she heard Jade cry out. Moving her mouth up, she dragged her tongue from the first scar on Jade's ass up to the first one she'd kissed in the middle of her lower back and continued to the next one up her spine.

Jade shivered with need and tried digging her nails into the tiles on the wall. "Fuck," she gasped as she began panting and shaking, "Feels. So. Amazing Tor. Please. Don't stop."

Tori slowly moved her tongue up and across Jade's back, connecting the scars, until she was standing behind Jade. She'd reached the last ones on her shoulder blades, saving the darkest of them (the one at the base of her neck) for last. She gently nipped that one, dragging a heavy sigh out of Jade, before pressing her lips to it. She wrapped her arms around Jade's stomach and pulled Jade's back against her front. Jade sighed and seemed to melt as she leaned back against Tori. Who knew that Tori kissing, licking, and biting her scars would be both amazingly hot and astoundingly relaxing? Jade felt as if her whole body was tingling, every molecule in her body acutely attuned to Tori's touch. She reached up with one hand and grabbed the back of Tori's head as she turned her own. Their lips met in a slow, deep, and searing kiss. When Tori had to pull way to breathe, Jade kissed her jaw and whispered, "I love you Tori."

Tori smiled, "I love you too Jade."

Jade felt a wave of happiness and belonging flare in her chest and spread out through her body, making her already tingling nerves feel like they started to vibrate. When she felt Tori's right hand start to move down towards her throbbing, wet folds, though, she grabbed onto it to stop her. She felt Tori tense slightly so she entwined their fingers just to keep Tori close. Before Tori could speak, she said quietly, "You have no idea how badly I want to make love to you right now Tori. But before we do that, I want you to know everything that's happened to me. I _need_ to tell you everything."

Tori relaxed as she accepted Jade's answer. "Not that I'm complaining," Tori said gently, "But may I ask why?"

Jade thought for a moment before turning around in Tori arms, looking up into her beautiful brown eyes, and explaining, "Because you deserve to know. You deserve to hear the story from me instead of another source and to have me be completely honest with you. You deserve to understand just how much baggage I have and what you're getting in to with me. And because you deserve to be able to chose whether you want to run away or stay. As incredibly happy and alive as I feel when I'm with you, whichever you chose, I will accept because I love you and would never make you do anything you didn't want to do."

Tori was moved to say the least. Jade was willing to forfeit her own happiness in order for Tori to have hers. Tori wasn't sure if she could do that, even for Jade, and instantly knew she didn't deserve Jade. She squeezed Jade as she vowed, "I'm never going to be able to walk away from you."

Jade's face became a scowl, "I'd hold off on that." Then she turned around and turned off the water. Tori pouted but knew she wasn't going to convince Jade otherwise until everything was out in the open. She followed Jade's lead and stepped out of the shower, grabbing a towel. Silently, they both dried off before moving to Tori's room and dressing in PJs. Before they got settled, Tori shot Andre a message, letting him know that she and Jade didn't want to be interrupted for the rest of the night. He responded quickly asking if they were finally gonna get it on. Tori chuckled, rolled her eyes, and texted back, "_Noooo! And even if we were, I wouldn't tell you. We're just going to be talking."_

He answered, "_Uh huh. Sure. But don't worry chica; I won't be coming home tonight. Beck and I are hitting the town and then going back to his place. I'll be home tomorrow night most likely. You two behave now."_

"_Cool. You guys have fun. And oh my god Andre!"_

"_Lol! Night!"_

Tori plugged her phone in and focused back on Jade who was patiently sitting on the bed with her back against the headboard. As she made her way over, she informed Jade, "Andre won't be coming home. He and Beck are having a guys' night."

"Should we be ready to bail them out of jail?" Jade joked.

Tori laughed as she settled on the bed facing Jade. She wanted to be able to watch her love's face as she regaled Tori with her tale. She knew it wasn't going to be a happy story- it would probably be quite horrific considering Jade had clearly been abused at some point at least during her past. She also knew it wasn't going to be easy to listen to. But hell, it was probably going to be harder for Jade to tell it. Expectantly, she looked at Jade, waiting for her to take the first step.

Jade was nervous. No, scratch that. Jade was terrified. She had known that she was going to have to tell Tori eventually. And though she was ready to speak, she was petrified about what Tori's reaction would be. Internally, she was preparing her defenses. She was getting ready for the emotions that would surely overwhelm her as well as the tears, but mostly she was preparing for Tori to freak out and run away in horror. She had meant it when she said she wouldn't stop Tori from leaving. Whether or not she would be able to survive if that happened, however, Jade was willing to bet she wouldn't. Tori had come to mean everything to her; she was Jade's lifeline. Without her, Jade didn't think she'd even want to survive. She forced herself to focus on the here and now by looking up into Tori's eyes. They were looking at her with gentle expectation, openness, and love. She wondered if she would ever see that look in Tori's eyes again as she opened her mouth. "I know that several times during this you're going to want to say something, ask a question, vomit, and/or leave. All I'm asking is that, unless you _really_ need to throw up or take a break or run away completely, you just stay silent. It's a long story, and it won't be easy for me to get through. I just want to get it all out at once and as quickly as possible. When I'm done, I'll take whatever reaction you have. Whether it be questions, tears, vomiting, running away, yelling, or kicking me out, I'll deal with it. Okay?"

Tori nodded seriously, "Okay."

Jade closed her eyes and took a deep breath, inhaling deeply through her nose and exhaling through her mouth. Then, facing her fate, she opened her eyes and began her tale, "That night we kissed in your car was my last night of being a free and happy woman. See, after my mother killed herself, my father forced me to make a deal with him. His terms were either that I leave Hollywood Arts immediately, give up on my artistic dreams, and start learning business so I could inherit his company OR I stay at Hollywood Arts and somehow convince him that I deserved to be there. That second option came with a price however. He told me if I failed to convince him that I was good enough to succeed in my dreams of being a producer and director by the end of my senior year, my life would be signed over to him; he could do whatever he wanted with me, and I couldn't protest. Of course, I was confident enough to believe I could change his mind and chose the second option. I never dreamed that I would fail or that he would play dirty. That play that you helped me put on during your first year there, the reason it was so important that my dad would be there was because of this deal."

"But I thought he was impressed!" Tori blurted uncontrollably. Immediately though she covered her own mouth with her hands and gave Jade an apologetic look.

Jade glared at her for a moment but saw Tori's silent promise not to speak again and continued, "Yes. He was impressed. Or at least that's what he said at that moment, and I believed him. Turns out he was just buying his time. He wanted me to take his second option because either way, he knew my life would be his to command. He always planned on taking away my dreams, my freedom one way or another. I don't know if he would've gone so far as to bind me and take me away against my will, but I would guess that he probably would've. Fortunately for him, however, he found my weakness. The one tool he could use against me- could use to force me to do what he wanted." Jade paused for a moment, knowing from here things would only get harder. Then she said, "You."

Tori's eyes widened almost comically, but she refused to say anything to keep her end of the bargain.

Jade smiled a bit at the complete shock and confusion on her love's face, but then sobered and explained, "I didn't see him- didn't even know he was there or anywhere in the area, but he was in Nozu that night Sikowitz forced us to date. I was so focused on singing at those idiots and on you that I never saw him. After I dropped you off at home afterwards and went home, I thought he was asleep and went to bed. I didn't see him when we did Sikowitz's play as husband and wife either, once again being too focused on you, the play itself, and those suckfish guys. I didn't see him when I grabbed your hand and ran away from them with you. But he was there. When I got home that night, he was waiting for me. God, I'd never seen him so pissed in my whole life…"


	7. Chapter 7

Note: thanks still going out! Just so y'all know I start to switch between first and third POV. Third means it's the present while first means it's Jade's past. I thought putting it into Jade's POV would make it so that it could get more emotional and detailed and stuff. For the next few parts it's gonna be pretty dark. So warnings go out for rape, torture, ansty-suicidy-ness, violence, and murder. If that's not your thing, I suggest waiting til I get past Jade's past or not reading it at all.

Jade smiled a bit at the complete shock and confusion on her love's face, but then sobered and explained, "I didn't see him- didn't even know he was there or anywhere in the area, but he was in Nozu that night Sikowitz forced us to date. I was so focused on singing at those idiots and on you that I never saw him. After I dropped you off at home afterwards and went home, I thought he was asleep and went to bed. I didn't see him when we did Sikowitz's play as husband and wife, once again being too focused on you, the play itself, and those suckfish guys. I didn't see him when I grabbed your hand and ran away from them with you. But he was there. When I got home that night, he was waiting for me. God, I'd never seen him so pissed in my whole life…"

**~~~~~Flashback~~~~~**

_As I pulled into my driveway, I couldn't wipe the smile off my face. It had been such an interesting day. The play had gone off without a hitch, and I could tell Sikowitz was proud that he'd been able to play a part in having me and Tori actually play a convincing husband and wife. Truth was, I hadn't minded playing Tori's wife as Nancy. I hadn't minded it the first hundred times we'd tried it but I didn't like it either. That changed after a few nights ago. Who knew Vega could actually be kinda fun to be around? Not to mention, she had balls to have been willing to risk my wrath when she started everything by making us say nice things about each other. What a rush it was when we sang together too! Man, it was like our voices were made to be sung together. And then today, after we ran from those guys, we hid backstage for a while, laughing at how moronic they were. How could they seriously have not gotten the hint? (Pun intended) Then we decided to head out for coffee which then turned into going to mall. We were still dressed in our costumes and laughed when people looked at us in confusion. Vega was clearly a girl; her boobs were showing in her suit and some pieces of her hair had fallen out. Before I even realized what I was doing, I was playing along by telling them to tell my husband she was beautiful. It had been hilarious to see them get all confused and flustered as they rushed to follow my orders. Never once did it feel weird to be somewhat public affectionate with Vega. I even went the whole day without insulting her. Truthfully, it was probably one of the best days of my life._

_Before I could think much about it though, I had walked inside and froze when I saw my father standing by the stairs, his arms crossed over his chest, his eyes glaring. I swallowed; he had never looked at me like that before. "What?" I asked._

_His eyes narrowed, "Don't think I don't know what's going on."_

_I looked at him with confusion, "Sorry dad. But I have no idea what you're talking about."_

"_You were with that girl again, weren't you?"_

"_Vega?"_

"_I don't care to know her name Jadelyn. The girl who you were embarrassing yourself with the other night at Nozu- the same girl who played your husband in a ridiculous play earlier today. Don't think I can't see it Jade. The way you held her hand, the way you danced provocatively towards her, the way you told her she was pretty and talented, the way you allowed her face to fall onto your chest, the way you grabbed onto her when you saw those boys again and ran off with her, the way you look at her, everything you do speaks of the feelings you have for her. It's disgusting; I won't allow it. I didn't let you stay at that school so you could become a lesbian."_

_It was said with such venom that I had to fight not to flinch. I couldn't just let him say those things, those lies. I had to stand up for myself, "Dad. Please. I do not have feelings for Tori. We're hardly even friends. The only reason we were at Nozu together was because our teacher forced us to go there because we hated each other too much to play our characters believably. And trust me, if I could've not played the part of Vega's wife, I wouldn't have, but we picked the cards from a hat and Sikowitz wouldn't let us change. There's nothing going on between me and her except maybe I can tolerate her a little more now."_

_My dad didn't look convinced, "Right, because anyone would give up the chance to perform live on an award show for a girl they can barely stand."_

_My eyes widened, "You knew about that?"_

_He scoffed, "Of course I did Jadelyn. When one's daughter is announced to the world like that, one takes notice. And though I have no feelings one way or the other about your performance or lack thereof, don't you think it might've helped with the deal we struck? How you could give up something like that just so someone else could take it, someone who you claim to hate, I just don't understand."_

"_She was supposed to do it," I tried to explain, "They chose Tori before me, but she refused to let them make her into their puppet and was fired. That's why they chose me. Originally, I was going to do it even though I know she deserved it. But then I caught Beck trying to make a move on her, and she stopped him for my sake- because she didn't want to hurt me. I realized I couldn't just take her moment of fame; she's too good a person and friend. Even though I was a complete bitch to her since we met, there she was pushing my ex-boyfriend way when she could've easily kissed him out of spite for me. But just because I realized I couldn't go through with it, doesn't mean I have feelings for her."_

_I could tell he didn't understand. He was too cold-hearted to know what I had felt. "Whatever your reasons are Jade, I've made my decision. You're mine now."_

_I gaped at him, "But- when you saw my play you were impressed. You were impressed by my singing and acting though I know you won't say. I thought I'd changed your mind."_

_Dad shook his head and looked at me like I was a child. "You thought wrong," he said simply._

"_But that's not fair!" I yelled, swelling with anger. I had convinced him! He said I impressed him! "You can't just go back on our deal!"_

"_I can do whatever I want!" he yelled back, "I'm your father, and you're not 18 for another six months!"_

"_You can't keep me here! I'll go live somewhere else and become a producer one way or another!" I started to head up the stairs towards my room, intent on packing and getting the hell out of there._

_When I was half-way up the stairs, though, his cold, cunning voice taunted, "I'll have her hurt you know."_

_I froze for a second before looking back down at him. "What? Who?" I gasped, knowing my fear showed in my voice._

"_Tori Vega," my father smirked, knowing he had me, "By tomorrow her parents could be planning her funeral." My whole body tensed, my nostrils flared, my hands fisted tightly at my sides. I could feel anger mixed with fear boiling in my blood. But my father continued, "What kind of coffin do you think they'll choose to bury her in? Or maybe they'll choose to cremate her? I can let them know it was your fault she died. Maybe they can send you her ashes so you'll know just what you've caused. Oh! I've got a better idea. I'll tell my man to torture her- make it slow and painful until she begs to be killed."_

_I roared in fury and threw myself at the evil man I called father. The force of my body caused him to slam back against the door. I grabbed onto his shirt covering his chest and snarled in his face, "YOU STAY AWAY FROM TORI YOU BASTARD!"_

_My father simply smirked proudly, knowing he'd most definitely found my weakness, "So does that mean we have a deal?"_

_I growled as I shook with anger, regretting making my feelings so obvious. In that instant, I realized my father was right. I did have feelings for Tori Vega. Deep, big feelings, otherwise I would never have defended her so harshly. I hated my father more than ever and wanted nothing more than to tell him to go fuck himself. I couldn't though, not with Tori's life at stake. I would never let anything happen to her. Forcing myself to let go of my father, I stepped back and growled, "You have deal."_

**~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~**

"He told me he would allow me to finish out the year and graduate- that he had some 'planning' to do anyway, and then he left. As soon as he was gone, I fell to my knees and sobbed. I couldn't believe that he had used you to get to me like that. I had known he was a horrible man, but I'd never realized how truly evil he was until that moment. But there was no way I was gonna let anything happen to you. And so, I spent as much time with you as I could. Despite me realizing I really did like you in that way, it was mostly so that I knew you were safe or could protect you if anything happened."

Tori had been listening, feeling slightly horrified that she had played a part in Jade's life going to hell and partially honored at how Jade had been so willing to defend her like that. She definitely did not deserve Jade.

Jade continued, starting to get on a roll with her story, "Over the next few months, my feelings for you got deeper and harder to control. I couldn't tell you how I felt- not with my father possibly hiding around every corner waiting to strike, and definitely not with your life being threatened. Plus, I didn't think in a million years you would love me back. I got back with Beck, hoping it would ease my father and deter him from my real feelings. In the end, however, I realized I couldn't do that to Beck and broke it off. I didn't love him anymore so it didn't make sense to keep seeing him. Finally, three days before graduation, my father came to speak to me. He didn't say much, just that he had solidified his plans and that in just four days the life I knew and loved would be ended. He didn't tell me specifics; I knew he wanted me scared. I tried not to think about it but I could tell from his eyes during that moment that he had something truly evil planned. I tried so hard just to make my last days the best they could be. I didn't want to tell you how I felt because I knew that, no matter what, nothing could come of it. Even if you loved me back, I would have to leave and be left to wonder about the life I could've had with you. But that night I confessed everything, it was because I couldn't hold it in any longer; it was consuming me. I needed to get it off my chest, but what's more is that I had this feeling that, whatever was coming, it was going to kill me. I didn't want to die without knowing, and I didn't want to die without you knowing. I thought it would be easier when I told you to just listen then leave, but you have no idea how happy I was when you told me you loved me back- how right it felt to kiss you. I wanted more of course, but I was happy with what I got. The memory of that night and of the good times we had kept me going on the days when I would want nothing more than to die or to kill myself." Jade paused to chuckle quietly as she reached to wipe the tears from Tori's face. "Crying already?" she asked gently, "It's only gonna get worse from here ya know?" Tori nodded and grabbed Jade's hand, refusing to let go. Jade felt comforted by the contact, but out of concern for Tori, Jade asked, "Should I stop?" Tori shook her head rapidly, making Jade smile affectionately, "Okay. Now where was I? Oh. After you left, I went home, feeling ready to face my fate. I hadn't run, and my father would have no reason to harm you. You were safe and you loved me back. Which is all I wanted. When I got home, he was waiting to tell me to be ready to leave in the morning. Again, he gave me no details.

"The next morning when he woke me up, the house was empty- vacant as if we'd never lived there- except for my room. Once I'd gotten dressed and packed some things, my father had the movers come and take all my stuff away. It was sad to see all my prized collections and items go, but I knew I couldn't think about that too deeply. Then he locked up, gave the movers the key, we got in the car, and he drove away. We drove and drove for hours. I thought we'd drive cross-country, but my rational mind knew my father would've flown for that kind of trip. Eventually, we ended up in Arizona…"

**~~~~~Flashback~~~~~**

"_Dad? What are we doin' in Arizona?" I'd asked once he'd parked at a Marriott- the most expensive kind- and started leading me to a room._

"_You'll find out when we get there Jadelyn."_

_I could tell the discussion was closed and followed silently. Father led me into an elevator and pressed the button for the top floor, where all the fancy suites were. On the way up, my father began speaking, "Alright. This is where your live ends and mine begins Jadelyn." The elevator doors opened, and he tightly grabbed my arm hard enough to make me flinch and hold in a gasp of pain. "Children had always been your mother's dream- never mine. Despite you becoming 18 soon, I can't have a daughter to look after. I especially can't be associated with a daughter who wastes her life on something as stupid as acting or directing or whatever. I'd thought of disowning you of course, but this works better." He paused as he came to a stop at a door and knocked._

_My heart began pounding as I heard a male voice grunt and footsteps come towards the door. The door swung open to reveal a rather large man; he was neither fat nor skinny, probably in his 40's, dressed in a very fine suit and tie, his black hair slicked back and shinning with the amount of grease, and a fake smile that oozed I-will-do-anything-for-money. "Ah James! How good to see you my friend," his smooth voice told me that not even 'friends' were off-limits to get what he wanted. "This must be Jadelyn."_

_The way he eyed me up and down gave me the creeps, and I wanted nothing more than to punch that grin right off his face._

"_Do you have it Hector?" my father asked, skipping niceties as usual._

_Hector pulled a cell phone from his pocket and made a big show of pressing a button on it. Then he smiled smoothly and said, "Not anymore. It all belongs to you now." He held out his phone so my father could see the screen._

_Unfortunately, that meant I could too. There on the screen was proof that Hector had just sent my dad 250,000 dollars. My eyes went wide and I gasped, "What the fuck is that for?"_

_My father ignored me as he pulled out his own phone. A few short seconds later, he smiled pleased. He looked back at Hector before tossing me towards him. Hector caught me and immediately wrapped his big, fat arms around my torso. I struggled, "Let me go. Dad! What the hell?"_

"_That Jade was Hector giving me his end of the bargain. I've just sold you to him for 250,000 dollars."_

_I gaped in horror at my dad for a minute before I shouted, "You WHAT?!"_

_Instead of answering, my father's evil smile grew, "Goodbye Jadelyn. Enjoy your new life."_

"_NO!" I screamed and tried to get away._

_Hector squeezed me tighter though, making it difficult to breathe, as he said loudly, "Thank you for this gift James." Then he shut the door as my father walked away._

_I screamed wordlessly as I struggled. I tried to kick and punch him, but my arms were pressed tightly to my sides and my feet only made contact with his shins, ankles, and feet, having no affect on the large man whatsoever. I cursed at him and ordered him to release me, but he didn't. Anger and fear made it hard to think of anything besides getting away, so I failed to see the white hand towel until it was too late. Hector pressed it against my face. I gasped against the horrid smell and tried thrashing my head. But all too soon, I felt my body grow weaker and my mind get fuzzy. The last words I heard before I sank into unconsciousness were, "Can't have you being too loud my dear. Otherwise I'll have given away my money for nothing. Don't fight it now or th…" His words faded and were unclear against the humming in my head. I tried to fight to stay awake but the chemical liquid on the cloth proved stronger than my will, and blackness overcame me._

_~~~~~Victorious~~~~~_

_When I finally started to wake, my mind still felt fuzzy and lethargic. My body felt heavy like lead and wouldn't respond to my commands to move. I tried opening my eyes, but even they were unresponsive at first. Slowly, my mind and body woke and I began to think and feel again. It was then I finally opened my eyes. I looked up at a plain white ceiling. 'Well that's not right,' I thought to myself, 'My ceiling is red. Did I pass out at Tori's again?' That's when it hit me. I wasn't at Tori's house or my house; I wasn't even in LA anymore. My father- my own fucking father- sold me to some guy named Hector. The evil bastard hadsold me for $250,000 and left. I had tried to get away, really I did, but then he'd knocked me out with chloroform. Oh God! What happened after that? It was then I noticed I was lying on my back on what felt like a bed. Starting to panic I tried to move. But now my limbs weren't responding because I couldn't feel them- they weren't responding because they simply couldn't. I could feel the thick rope around my ankles and wrists. My legs were spread apart but my arms were tied together and then to the headrest. I thrashed as hard as I could, putting my whole body into it, but nothing moved, nothing caved. I was stuck. I screamed but instead of hearing my loud, ear-piercing cry, it was muffled. I moved my jaw and discovered that in my mouth with a ball gag made of cloth. My panic was increasing. I had to escape; I had to get away. Belatedly, as I thrashed again, I noticed my bare skin was rubbing against the hotel sheets; I was naked. 'Oh please. No!' My panic at its highest, I thrashed and pulled on the ropes, silently begging for even one to snap. I could feel my skin beginning to get rope burns._

_Suddenly a voice made my heart stop and my body freeze, "I see you're awake now." I looked over at the voice and saw Hector leaning against the door frame in nothing but a robe. How long had he been watching me struggle? "I've been waiting for you to return. This moment would mean nothing without you awake- the moment that I begin my training." I watched terrified as he began to come towards me. When he reached the bed, he reached out and ran a hand over my body, sliding over my left breast and continuing down my stomach and down my left leg. I flinch and began shaking. When he repeated the action rougher on my other side, I squirmed uncontrollably, trying to get away, and whimpered. "Do not worry my slave. Soon you will be used to my touch." With that he roughly grabbed my right breast and squeezed it hard. I cried out in pain and started to thrash. He slapped my left breast hard and I froze. He glared at me angrily, "Do not fight me slave! Or this will be much worse for you."_

_I swelled with indignation despite the situation. He expected me to be tame? To not fight him? My father must not have told him that that wasn't in my nature. I glared back at him, daring him to break me. Silently telling him that he never would. He glared back, seeing my challenge, and I could tell he'd do his best to come out the victor. He slapped me again even harder, and I had to close my eyes as I fought to not reveal my pain. That, however, was in vain as I suddenly felt him enter me. With no preparation or wetness, it hurt like hell. I arched my back and screamed against my gag. I felt tears of pain fill my eyes, and refused to open them. He pounded into me fast and hard. I swear he was trying to rip me in half; the pain was excruciating. I had had sex before but never like this. I screamed over and over and pulled against the ropes. His big, meaty hands were on my breasts pushing me down into the bed. He was grunting as his hard length stabbed me over and over. I continued to struggle, squirming my body in every direction. Every so often he would slap me in an effort to make me stop. When that didn't work and he was still pounding me, he punched me hard in the ribs. I stiffened, any movement suddenly becoming agonizing as the pain radiated through me. With me finally falling still, he pumped faster and came with a satisfied groan. Dimly, I was aware and grateful of the fact that he was wearing a condom, but mostly I was focused on breathing through the pain._

_After he pulled out, I heard him say, "That was an excellent start slave. Hopefully, you realize that, unless you don't fight, this will only be a painful experience for you." Yah, because even if I was tame, this would be a fun walk in the park. What the fuck was wrong with this guy? "Now," he continued, "I'll give you some time to recover and think about things. I'll be back a little later to do this again." Again? He wanted to rape me again? Besides the pain, I felt nothing but dread._

_I heard him walk away and finally opened my eyes. The tears were finally free to run down my temples and down onto the pillows. I stared at the ceiling as the pain dimmed to a dull throb. For no reason at all, my mind went to Tori. What was she doing right now? Did she realize I was gone- most likely forever? Would she miss me as much I already missed her?_


	8. Chapter 8

Note: sorry for this one being on the short side! The M rating continues so read carefully. And keep commenting please so I know I'm doing okay! (: Enjoy!

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

"Another related murder?" Joe exclaimed at his boss, "Are you fucking kidding me?"

Rod's frowned turned to a scowl, "Does it look like I'm joking?" Without waiting for an answer, he pushed passed his team and went towards the elevator, "The bodies should be arriving from Seattle any minute. Bob and Alex, start going over what the Seattle team already found out then go through the victims' backgrounds. Joe, go down to autopsy to wait for the bodies. I'll be there once I've gotten some coffee."

Joe knew with the other four _unsolved_ murders, Rod was becoming increasingly angry, frustrated, and short-tempered. Cold cases were not something that often happened where this team was concerned. They worked well as one unit, with each bringing a different level of smarts to the table to help them solve every crime that had come their way. They'd even assisted other cops as well as some feds when they needed to. They'd never had a cold case before. Now, not only was their pride being insulted, but their sanity too. The longer they went with no answer, no hint of who could've done this the more frustrated they got; the answers they did have were just not good enough.

The three men they'd found in the trailer had also been known or suspected rapists. There was Tony Blanchard, the one who'd been killed while on the toilet; he'd been arrested in Ohio a few years before because he matched the description of a witness to a rape and murder of a 22 year old girl. He'd been visiting his aunt at the time, who'd been his last living relative before she died of cancer a year after he was arrested. He was interrogated, gave nothing away to incriminate himself, his aunt gave him an alibi, and was let go. Though it was assumed the girl was just another victim of a man who'd been sentenced to death, that man had not been alive to say otherwise and, technically, the case was considered unsolved. Blanchard had no family, no job, told his landlord he was moving out and paid his final rent, never got in trouble with the law after that, and basically disappeared- until he was discovered murdered in Arizona that is. Toxicology report stated that, at the TOD (Time of Death), he'd been stoned out of his mind. Next there was Richard Wall/Jack Fontaine, the body who'd been roughed up then shot through the head. A Texas native, he'd been a stand-up, average guy. Growing up, he went through school and graduated, earned a job as a doctor, married his high school sweetheart and had a daughter, and basically lived the American dream. His neighbors, friends, family-hell, everyone loved him. Then one day, everything changed; Wall was arrested for raping a fellow doctor while they were both on-the-job. He'd been sentenced to 12 years but was let out after 5. Everyone who'd once loved him, shunned him so he legally changed his name to Richard and moved away. It appeared he never stayed too long in one place; he kept a journal on his cell phone which, when analyzed, had revealed some hints that he'd possibly raped again or at least wanted to. He'd written so vaguely that none of Joe's team or the forensic specialists could be sure. According to his journal, it was during this time of never-settling that Wall met and formed a friendship with the third victim, the one whose face had been bashed in with a still-unknown blunt object. Cain Prikard had been born in the slums of Philly and abandoned by both his parents by the age of eight. He took to the gang life soon after that. Fights, mugging, assault, armed robberies, drug possession, drug redistribution, vandalism, prostitution, rape, this kid was trouble. The kid was also a coward and rat. When he'd gotten himself arrested after he and a fellow gang member robbed a gas-station, knowing he'd face a good amount of time in prison, he told the cops in Philly he'd make a deal; Prikard would give up the names of his gang members and boss in exchange for as small a punishment as possible. The cops agreed, and the kid's information was good enough to get him only a year in jail. After he'd gotten out, he knew he couldn't go back where he lived without being killed, so he went west. Every so often, the kid showed up on a traffic cam in the passenger seats of multiple big-rig trucks but other than that, he'd managed not to draw attention to himself. According to Wall's journal, Prikard approached him asking for a place to stay, Wall took him under his wing, they found they shared a lot of common interests, and the kid never left. The journal also mentioned Tony Blanchard and that he was bringing something special to Wall and Prikard's trailer. That had been the last update.

Upon further investigation, Alex had found that Blanchard had known Sloane Remeire and that the two men had met up only a few days before. Joe and his team hadn't been sure whether to be relieved or further frustrated by the fact that the two murders had shared that connection. Now that they had two other bodies coming in however, Joe knew that the shit-pile that was this case was only getting deeper and smellier. He had a gut feeling that, the next time he talked to Alex and Bob, his teammates would tell him that these too would be linked together. So, with a growing ball of dread sinking in his stomach, he went down to see if autopsy had received the new arrivals yet.

~~~~~Victorious~~~~~

As Jade told Tori her story, the Latina listened in shocked, dismayed silence. She was torn between wanting Jade to stop and wanting her to tell her more. She felt her heart break when Jade told her that her own father had signed her life over to another, to someone that had planned to torture and use Jade for his own sick purposes. The evilness of the story made Tori want to scream, cry, run, and crush Jade in a hug all at once. Yet, Tori was entranced. She knew that she needed to know what had happened to Jade, and she didn't think she could tell Jade to stop even if she completely wanted to. So she sat, watching Jade and holding her hand as she spoke. She watched those beautiful azure eyes grow cloudy and dim as Jade lost herself in her memories. Jade looked and felt so far away to Tori, and she badly wanted her to come back. But Jade had asked for no interruptions unless they were necessary. So as the raven-haired girl's voice became monotone and emotionless as her eyes, Tori could do nothing but try to soak everything Jade told her. She wasn't sure if she could do it, if she could handle it, but she was going to try her damned hardest. For Jade.

**~~~~~Flashback~~~~~**

_Only a few days had passed since my life had been sold to Hector, but it felt like months. After that first time, he'd spent the rest of the day coming back off and on to "train" me. Every time I fought him, and every time he would hit me until I froze from the pain. He left me alone for the night only to come back and start all over the next day. Between all the effort I put into fighting and trying not to succumb to the pain, by my fourth day with Hector I could barely stay conscious. He'd given me water by letting the cloth in my mouth soak it up so I could suck the water out and drink it but never food, which obviously wasn't helping my state either. Without the energy from food, I was growing weaker; fighting him was becoming harder. I knew that it was what he wanted. In addition to fading in and out of consciousness, the hunger, and feeling as if my whole body was covered in bruises, every muscle in my body ached. I hadn't moved from the position I'd been tied to the bed in, nor had the gag been removed from my mouth. I hadn't been allowed to even go to the bathroom on my own._

_Finally, however, Hector realized he needed to feed me. I was rescued from unconsciousness by the smell of food. Even before I was fully awake, I could tell he'd brought me eggs, toast, and bacon just from the smell. I jolted awake to watch him set the plate down on the bedside table. I felt like I was going to drown from the flood of saliva that filled my mouth as I not only smelled but saw the food only a few feet away. I began shaking as I eyed the plate hungrily and tried to lean toward it. Hector roughly grabbed my chin and forced me to look at him. Forgetting my hate and anger towards him for the moment, I looked at him expectantly. "I'm going to give you the food," he said slowly, making my heart jolt with the joy of finally being fed. "But before I untie and ungag you, I need you to realize that the second you try to scream or escape, I WILL use this on you if I have to." He held in his hand a taser. I knew that with my body already in pain and my mind ready to shut down, that the taser would hurt a million times worse and could easily force me to blackout. I would be tied up in an uncomfortable position and gagged again. Even worse, my food would be taken away, and I might never get to eat again. My whole body screamed at the agony at that thought. So when he narrowed his eyes and asked, "Do you understand?", I nodded my head, letting my eyes show I was serious._

_He huffed in satisfaction and began untying me starting with my legs. I breathed slowly to insure I stayed patient as he moved to my hands. Unfortunately, Hector knew he shouldn't trust me enough to completely free me and left my hands tied together. It pissed me off, but I was more focused on the food so I allowed it. For now. Then, finally, he removed the gag. I flexed my jaw slowly as I tried to relax the stiff muscles. When Hector finally moved away, I slowly sat up. My body creaked and shook like tree in the wind as my muscles protested being moved. Multiple bones cracked while some muscles spasmed. I got a little light-headed from the change in my equilibrium but managed to stay awake. When I finally sat up properly, Hector handed me the plate and a fork. It was awkward with my wrists still tied together, but I dug in anyway. Thankfully, Hector left me in peace while I ravenously devoured the food. I didn't take long to finish and was about to -rudely of course- ask for more when he brought in another plate and a glass of orange juice. I practically inhaled the second helping before I guzzled down the drink. When I was done, I sighed with contentment and smiled to myself._

_My happiness didn't last long however. "You know, a good guest would thank their host for a meal."_

_Staying true to myself however, I just glared and spoke, my voice croaky from all the screaming, "Obviously, I'm not a good guest." I knew that being a smart-mouth probably wasn't a good idea, but seriously, did this guy honestly think I was going to do what he wanted?_

_That assumption was proven true when Hector surged forward and grabbed tightly onto my neck. As he squeezed and cut off a good amount of my air, he snarled in my face, "I will spend as long as I have to to MAKE you behave you little bitch."_

_Unable to back down, I choked out, "You have a better chance of building a spaceship time machine and being chosen as the King of Neptune in the year 2346." Frankly, I don't really know what came out of my mouth just then, but at least the sentence made sense unlike the rest of the thoughts in my brain._

_Hector growled and the last thing I remember was a sharp pain to the side of my skull._

_~~~~Victorious~~~~_

_When I woke up, the first thought that ran through my head was 'What is with this asshole and knocking me out?' I groaned through my grogginess and assessed my body. Thankfully, besides the ever-present pain, it didn't seem as stiff and taunt as it did before. Happily, I also noticed I wasn't tied to the bed anymore. Well- not in the way I was before. This time a long stretch of rope connected my tied wrists to the bolted down bed frame. I could sit and stand up but I couldn't go very far. I tested the knots by tugging against it. Just like before, I found the knots to be steadfast. I growled in frustration. Another thing I took notice of was that there was no gag on my mouth. My jaw was thankful for that. It occurred to me to start screaming until Hector came in or someone outside this room heard me. But I could hear him watching TV in the next room and remembered he had a taser. Though my body felt stronger with food in my system, I did not want the extra pain, so I stayed silent. Besides, it was only a matter of time before Hector left or made a mistake and then I could escape. Though now that I was thinking about it, where the fuck were my clothes, the suitcase I'd had when my asshole father brought me here? That could prove problematic… But I would run out of here naked if I had to. Stupid Hector. I took a deep breath and continued to analyze my surroundings and body. I noticed my hair was damp and my body smelled clean. Hector must've bathed me while I was out. The thought was creepy but at least I was clean._

_Suddenly his voice interrupted my musings, "You really should stop passing out. You're ruining all my fun."_

_I rolled my eyes and looked at him, "Yah. Cauz my number one priority is making sure you have 'fun'. Besides, you knocked me out. Don't blame me for your stupidity."_

_His eyes narrowed with irritation. I smirked, taking my revenge in knowing I was bothering him with my smart-assness. My joy was ended however when he turned the taser on and pointed it at me as he stepped closer. "Shut up and do as I say. Don't make me use this. Now bend over."_

_I glared at him and didn't move. Yah, I didn't want to be tased. But that didn't mean I was gonna let the fucker boss me around. We glared at each other for a moment. Then, before I could blink, he surged forward and pressed the taser against my side. I screamed in pain and jerked away._

"_First warning."_

"_Bite me," I said through gritted teeth._

_He shocked me again and used his other hand to push me so I was bent over, my feet on the floor and face on the bed. As I panted through the pain, I felt him undressing himself and the rip of a condom packet opening. Then a hand was held against my mouth before he brutally entered me. I screamed into his hand, unable to decide which pain was worse. He pounded into me fast and hard as I squirmed underneath him. The way his body was pressed against mine, I could hardly move and so had no affect on him. He zapped me again and while I held my breath against the pain, I put a slice of duct tape over my mouth. It was more comfortable than the cloth gag, but just as effective in silencing me. He took me long and hard, zapping me every now and then with the taser when I fought too hard. He grunted as he came and pulled out. Then he threw my legs onto the bed and tied my ankles apart once again so I was stuck on my stomach. I roared against the duct tape as he alternated between touching and zapping me. Then once again, he was taking me and trying to force me to stay still. Only when pain made my body immobile did I finally stop moving. He came again, pulled out, and untied my ankles before leaving. I tried to stay awake but the pain was too much. In order to help me feel less pain, my body and mind shut down, leaving me once again in darkness._


	9. Chapter 9

"Hector spent the better part of nine months trying to break me- to turn me into the perfect slave," Jade explained, her voice far away. "He tried his hardest. But the harder he tried to break me, the harder I tried not to be broken. I taunted him, made fun of him, kicked or punched him- did anything I could to piss him off. The taser became his best friend when he was 'training' me. It hurt like a bitch but eventually I guess I just got used to it. He always had me tied in some way. Usually my wrists were together, even when he started letting me shower and cook on my own. In hindsight, maybe giving me that kind of freedom wasn't really smart on his part. I tried a good number of times to escape, especially when he actually left the place, despite having no clothes. Tried banging on the walls and door, screaming, even tried to pick the locks with silverware. He locked me in the room he "trained" me in though, so the noise didn't go very far. One time, a little boy had apparently run crying to his mother because he thought someone was getting murdered in Hector's room. Unfortunately, that was right before Hector came home so he'd heard the whole thing. He tased the crap out of me and punched me in the head until I fell nearly unconscious then hid me inside the bathtub. When the hotel manager and two security guys came to check, Hector smoothly told them they could look around but the kid had probably just been imagining things. They looked but not hard enough and left. I tried to make some kind of noise but my mind was pounding from the pain of the taser and punches that my body wouldn't respond. I think that was the closest I came to escaping. After that, when he left, he tied me to the bed and gagged me. When it finally got to be time where he would have to leave the hotel because of his job, he became frustrated. He would hit and tase me much harder to take out his anger. I hadn't known the reason at first. But eventually, I heard him call my father when he thought I was asleep. He told him that he needed help because he didn't own a car and didn't know how to move me when he left. He couldn't very well stuff me in a sack or anything without looking suspicious, now could he? Hector really was stupid."

**~~~~~Flashback~~~~~**

"_I don't know what to do James. I have to go where the job tells me to, but there's no way I can get her to New York City from here without someone noticing. You have to help me," Hector sounded really desperate._

_As I pretended to be quietly asleep, I shamelessly listened in on Hector's conversation with my dad. Being slightly sick-minded, I couldn't help but think of a couple ways Hector could get me to New York. One, however stood out from the rest. Tori. I hadn't thought about Tori in a couple weeks now, I realized. I hadn't wanted to taint her memory. I dreamed of her nearly every night, but when I was awake, thoughts of her had been neatly tucked away. Suddenly though, I shivered with fear. What if James told Hector about Tori and my weakness for her? What if James threatened her again and made me do what Hector told me? Even now, almost a year since I'd last seen the beautiful Latina, I knew I would do anything to keep her safe. With me being gone, I had assumed that my father would have no more need to threaten her safety. But maybe I had been wrong to assume that._

"_No! You listen to me you asshole!" Hector shouted angrily into his phone, interrupting my growing panic. "Just because I paid for her, doesn't mean you don't still have some kind of responsibility in this! She's your daughter! And I'm your friend!" Oh yah. Because my father really cares about anyone but himself Hecky-boy. I rolled my eyes. "Don't you dare threaten me! I can just as easily tell them you're the one who sold her to me in the first place! You'd go to jail just as fast as I would." I waited in the pause. "Well fine then! You do that! I'll wait for your call." I held my breath as I waited to see what Hector would do. I fully expected him to come in here and take out his anger on me as usual, but he never did. Instead I heard him opening a bottle of alcohol. He probably planned on getting drunk. And then he'd come to me. He wasn't as forceful when drunk so I breathed a sigh of relief._

_I stared at the ceiling as I listened for Hector's phone to ring again. I wasn't stupid enough to believe I was finally getting out of this. I knew that, by some way or another, if I didn't end up back under my father's control or staying with Hector, I'd be passed to someone else. My father didn't want me though so I was pretty sure he'd do anything possible to not have to even share the same room with me ever again. Though I'd felt anger and resentment towards my father since he left me with Hector, I was suddenly overcome with rage at the thought of being passed over to some other monster. I was over eighteen now. I could take care of myself. Hector should just let me go and let me live my life. Why did I need to be owned? My thoughts swarmed around my head becoming less understandable as I cursed my father and Hector and all the sick men who would probably bid on my body. I had taken this whole thing without much complaint because I had felt I had to. I'd agreed to do whatever my father said to so Tori would be safe. But now, my father was rid of me; her life was no longer in danger. Things were different now; this was no longer about keeping Tori safe. This was about me. And I wanted out!_

"_HECTOR!" I roared, unable to hold my anger in any longer._

_He came rushing in, looking confused. I had never yelled at him like that before. I had been cruel and taunting, hurting his feelings as often as I could and calling him horrible names, but had never felt so much anger before now. "What?" he asked curiously._

_I stood up and fought against my bounds. "Let me the fuck go!" I screamed at him, trying to kick at him but he stayed just out of reach._

"_Why?" he shrugged, looking unconcerned._

"_Because you can no longer keep me! My father doesn't want to deal with me! Just let me go back to the real world so I can live my life!" I ordered._

_He looked at me with a smile as if I was a child and said, "Well now, I can't do that. See James didn't just give you to me so that he could be rid of you. He wants you broken in every sense of the word until you beg for mercy or even death."_

_I froze then, stopping my struggle against the rope as a shiver went up my back. Hector was not a threatening guy, not when he didn't have weapon of some kind. He said the words so simply as if he were talking about my father telling me how he wanted his suit trimmed. It wasn't his tone that scared me but the words themselves. I turned to look at him, "Why does he want that?"_

_Hector just shrugged and took another gulp from his vodka bottle. "He hates you. He always has. But he did love your mother, in his own strange way. He may not have shown it, but he loved when she would fight for his attention. He knew he made her feel bad sometimes but he was just never good with affection. After you were born, she no longer paid any attention to him- stopped trying to get him to notice her. Her eyes were only for you. It drove James mad with rage. He wanted you gone almost as soon as your mother held you. But he kept you because he knew it would kill her to no longer have you. He blamed you for her death. He wanted her to move away to the best treatment facility in the world, but she refused to leave you. 'You were so young and helpless and followed her everywhere,' she would tell him. So she stayed to take care of you until she couldn't stay alive anymore. Your father had never hated you more. I don't know why he kept you, but he did, just waiting for the right time to not only rid you from his life, but exact his revenge- to hurt you in the greatest way possible for taking Emily away from him both physically and emotionally."_

_I think a part of me had always known that that had been the reason that my father hated me. A few times throughout my life he'd mentioned that my mother dying had been my fault but he never really explained why; he preferred to just ignore my existence for the most part. I guess I had just never thought much more about it. I had never been loved by him and I knew it, so when his hatred only grew stronger, I didn't care; I didn't need him and never had. When the subject was brought up about why he hated me, I would shrug and say he didn't approve of my "differentness" or aspirations. Those reasons were true- he always made that clear. But other than that, I'd say nothing and drop the subject both verbally and mentally. But to hear it actually said out loud -from Hector- in such a blunt way, I couldn't help but feel a little shocked. I had never known my mother was THAT ill. Sure as the cancer spread, she'd gotten weaker, paler, skinnier, but she would always play with me or carry me around. She took me everywhere with her and hardly let me out of her sight. My mom had been the greatest; I loved her deeply. When she died, I was not only devastated but confused. It seemed sudden to me- unexpected. She'd never said anything to me- even when she went to the doctors, I'd later found out that she'd lied to me about where she'd been. And I was too young and loved spending time with her too much to notice she was that bad. Nor had I known that my father had tried to convince her to move away to a clinic._

_I looked away as tears filled my eyes and self-hatred swelled through my veins. Maybe if I hadn't been so selfish with my mother's attention, she'd have gone to get the help she needed; she'd have gotten well and none of this would be happening. I wouldn't have been sold to be a sex-slave by my own father. More importantly, she'd be alive. My father would still have his wife, and I would still have my mother._

_Faintly, I heard Hector chuckle, as if he knew his words wounded me, and walk away. I let the tears silently fall as I wished like hell that things could be different._

**~~~~~End of Flashback~~~~~**

In addition to Sloane Remeire, Tony Blanchard, Richard Wall, and Cain Prikard, Joe and his team were now presented with the bodies of two more men. Six men in total. The two newest bodies from Seattle had been determined by the local ME to have been killed two days after the three from the trailer. They were found hidden in the bushes in a local park and probably would've gone unnoticed if not for the local environmental committee who'd been picking up trash. One of the bodies was mostly in tact; like the others, he had been removed of his penis as well as his fingers. The ME also reported that, while still alive, the man had been shocked repeatedly with what appeared to be a handheld taser (judging by the marks left on the body) until he was somewhere between awareness and unconsciousness BEFORE his fingers had been cut off one by one and then his penis. To Joe it seemed that, while the first four had been rushed jobs, this one had taken time. Not a lot of time; the ME said that he would have bled out fairly quickly, especially after his reproductive organ had been removed, but still less rushed than the others. After a while this man had been identified as Hector Williams, an elite business man with a foot in many major companies. Upon deeper inspection into the man's background, they'd found that though he seemed to do his job well, he lacked common sense. He'd been arrested a handful of times of DUI's and public disturbances, but other than that had nothing major. Alex, being the most tech-savvy of the team, found that starting about seven years ago, Hector had had large sums of money dropped into his account every six months or so. The account had been tough to trace, but Alex found the money to come from an account owned by a James West.

Being suspicious of this, they dug into James West's background as well. Another big-shot business man, West owned many companies, most of which Hector Williams had a foot in. The two men had gone to college together and seemed to have stayed in contact over the years, mostly -it appeared- for business reasons. West had a clean record, had apparently had a wife who had died of cancer some years ago, and he also had a daughter- one Jadelyn West. West had filed a missing persons report in Seattle a few weeks after father and daughter moved from LA. The report said that West had left his daughter at a hotel and when he went back to the room, the door had been busted in, and Jadelyn was gone. She was seventeen at the time. The police searched the room for clues, but found no clue as to where Jadelyn had gone. The report had been filed away and West clearly went on with his life. Something about the report had Joe's gut churning but he couldn't figure out why. They tried to locate West's current location but he'd apparently taken off from work for several weeks and then disappeared.

The second body brought to them had been found in badly mutilated pieces. Pieces of this man's body had been stuffed inside two briefcases and left with Hector Williams in the park. The ME had done his best to set up the meat puzzle correctly, but the task proved difficult as some pieces were so small. Unlike the rest of the bodies, this man's fingers and penis were among the pieces found in the brief cases. From what the doctor could tell, the man had been tortured, slowly and painfully with nails, beatings, fire, and knifes. Most of the body had been cut at the joints but there were signs of them being broken starting with fingers, toes, and his nose and ending with his knees and elbows. The most shocking detail? The head was missing and yet to be found. The ME was willing to bet that the man's throat had been slit with just big enough of a cut so that he bled out slowly. When put together, the meat puzzle was sickeningly horrifying. Holes, bruises, burns, and cuts covered most of the surface of the headless body. It'd been years since anyone in the building had seen such a brutal killing. The pieces had been cleaned and stored in the briefcases with bags of ice. Hector Williams' body too was clean and besides the personal effects they'd found on or near Williams, they didn't have any major clues pointing to a killer. There were no out-of-place footprints, no place of death, no evidence at all. The only oddity was that on each suitcase a word had been carved into the leather. "Revenge" and "Complete". Their forensic specialist was trying to identify the body using one of the fingers but whoever he'd been he didn't have a criminal record. They had a lot of databases to go through, so it could take a while.

"You think this means that the killer is done?" Alex asked the question they'd all been thinking as he stared at his computer screen.

"Let's hope," Bob spoke, "We can't keep getting so many bodies for a case we can't solve."

Joe could hear how desperate Bob sounded. Truth was, they all were feeling the pressure of this case. It was wearing them down big time. If they couldn't solve it soon enough, it would either be passed along or put in a cold case pile. By now, they'd all heard the whispers of the other cops saying things like "maybe the FBI would have better luck." Joe couldn't help but agree. They had better equipment, more numbers, more manpower. And wasn't it the FBI who usually solved cases like this anyway? Not some local PD. 'No,' Joe told himself. He couldn't give up, no matter how much he wanted to, and neither could his team. He was about to say something to lighten their spirits when Rod spoke up, in a tone a little softer than usual, and said, "We will solve it Bob. We'll get a break. We're good at our jobs, everyone knows that; we just have our hands full with a bigger, grosser case than ever before. Approach it positively and it'll pay off eventually."

Joe, Bob, and Alex all shared shocked looks. Their boss usually didn't speak much. Nor did he ever try to give them a pep-talk. Choosing not to address that though, Joe cleared his throat and said, "Right. No human is perfect. They make mistakes, and eventually, we will find this person's mistake and nail them for it."

Bob and Alex seemed a little more confident after that and went back to work with a renewed hope. Joe wasn't so convinced. He looked over to Rod. When the older man- his friend- looked back, he could clearly see that even Rod was having trouble believing his words. Joe swallowed heavily and looked away. They needed to catch a break. And soon.

~~~~~Flashback~~~~~

_Finally, I heard Hector's phone ring. When he answered, he sounded a little slurred but did nothing to hide the conversation he was having. "Well. Have you come up with something?" he demanded into the phone. "What?! No! She's mine! I paid for her! You said she was!" A pause. "So I'm just supposed to let this guy take her?" I knew it! "Ugh! Fine! The money won't be as good as having her but I guess I don't really have a choice. Double it, or I'm going to the police… Excellent. I'll leave her in her room; Tony can come in and pick her up on his own… Goodbye James."_

_After a few moments, Hector came in. I glared at him, knowing my eyes were red from crying, but stayed silent. "Ya hear that? You're getting a new owner day after tomorrow." I scowled. I knew he was just pressing my buttons. "Means I have to use you as much as I can before I have to say goodbye. Better start now." With that, he took out his best friend the taser and zapped me before I could say anything to piss him off. He was on me and gagging me faster than I could scream. I fought against him, harder than usual due to all my pent up emotions and anger. I was pleased when I managed to kick him in the head as well as a few other places before he managed to tie me down. With the taser pressed hard into my lower back, he entered me roughly. I thrashed and roared against the gag while under him, the taser only making me pause for a few seconds as my rage overpowered the pain, until he finally got sick of the battle and punched the side of my head to knock me out, making me wonder if I would die from all the head trauma._


End file.
